


Friends, Lovers, Killer

by gayforthewindyboy



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alcohol, Assassins, Drug Use, M/M, Violence, no rape happens its just the beginning of it, rape scenario in the beginning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-23
Updated: 2017-07-12
Packaged: 2018-04-23 23:38:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 31,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4896664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gayforthewindyboy/pseuds/gayforthewindyboy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's not all sunshine and daises, being an assassin. Sometimes you're forced to do shit that'll tear you apart.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

The blondes pointer finger enclosed the trigger of the sniper. He was on top of a building, and his target was sitting in his office with the curtains open.  _Dumbass_ , Dave thought.  _You know people are after you, yet you leave your curtains wide open for me. Whatever, makes my job easier._  He was about to pull the trigger then paused. A young lady walked into the room with files in her hands. Thick files. Dave lowered his gun to watch. His vision was higher than most people's. He could see nearly perfectly into the office. Maybe it had something to do with the fact they're red. Legit red. He didn't always have red eyes. Varona took him in when they found out about his parents, one of their best workers, were hiding his existence and genetically engineered him, slightly. They didn't change him much, just enhanced his eyes and hearing. They made him combat with others until he was faster, stronger, and could beat even the best instructor they had. He had to practice hands on combat, and he was at the shooting range every day, perfecting his shots until he could shoot anything perfectly. He turned out to be the best assassin Varona had (without the actual experience, yet), and he was put through multiple dangerous tests to see if he was ready. After he passed all his tests, they sent him out on his first mission, which was the one he was currently working on.

He eyed the girl. Dave didn't want to hurt her, or scar her for life, so he waited. The brisk winds gave the sign that winter was just around the corner, and Dave loved it. He pulled his jacket closer to him, taking advantage of the slight warmth the coat provided. 5 minutes passed and she wasn't gone, but the man... The man was getting closer and kept touching her. Dave could see that she didn't want that. She kept pulling away but he got rougher with her, grabbing her arm and basically throwing her closer to the desk and pushing her down so her front side was pressed against it. She struggled and tried to scream but he slapped her, hard. He shoved her face down onto the desk and pulled down her skirt. She was starting to cry, and Dave couldn't take it anymore. The man unbuttoned his belt as Dave raised his sniper back up into position. He kept touching her and Dave was disgusted. This man clearly didn't deserve to live, and that made things for Dave a lot less terrifying. His finger was back on the trigger, and he lined the sight up with his head. One pull and a second later, the man was on the ground, dead, and the girl was screaming.

Dave ducked down and quickly fled the top of the building. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding once he was safe in the stairwell, and he took his time walking down. He walked out the back door and got into the company's car. He tossed his gun in the back after making sure the safely was one, and sped away.

He stopped at the gate and pressed the buzzer. "Who is it?" the voice came through clearly.

"Spencer," he replied bluntly, giving out the fake last name he acquired to keep people from finding out who he really was. "You should know me by now. I've been here for 8 years already."

"Right! Sorry, Mr. Spencer, I'll remember next time sir!" The intercom clicked off and the gate opened. Dave drove through, his shades hiding the annoying in his eyes. He got out at the front of the mansion and grabbed his gun from the back and put it in the bag just for it before letting the valet take the car. He stepped up the stairs and rang the doorbell. He could hear a pair of feet running to the door before the butler could open it.

The door flung open and he was engulfed in a tight hug which caused him to almost drop his bag. "Dave! You're back and you're okay!" He smiled slightly and nodded. The girl wouldn't let him go so he walked inside, arms still around her.

"Rose, you're going to have to let me go eventually."

"You've been gone for a few weeks, let me enjoy your return," she grumbled. The twins have been here for 18, nearly 19 years now. Their parents had tried to hide them from this line of work, they didn't want them to have to go through all of this. Assassination takes a part away from you. It destroys you, slowly but surely. Dirk and Roxy didn't want them to feel the way they did, and once The Crow found Dave and Rose, they took them without warning. Immediately thrown into training, their parents were no longer allowed to see them. In response to what she said, he hugged her a little tighter. She buries her face in his neck and smiled softly.

"Welcome back, big bro," she pulled away and stood up completely.

As twins, they do look alike. Rose had short white blonde hair, as did Dave. Dave was taller, by far though. Rose was 5'4 and Dave was 6'2. They both had a round baby face, and they were both pale as hell. Dave had freckles across his cheek and nose, but most were hidden my the pair of aviator shades he usually had on. Rose usually wore a scarf around her neck, and a skirt or a dress. Rose wasn't in the assassination part of Varona. She usually took care of anyone who came back injured, which happened a lot, especially when it was against other assassins, such as Karasu. Ironically, both were named after a black bird. It was a rumour that the leaders of these groups were ex-best friends.

Dave was soon taken away from Rose to meet with his leader. "How did the mission go?" he asked gruffly as he shuffled a piles of paper so they were perfectly neat before he set them down on his desk. He looked up at Dave from his seat and sighed. "Glasses off, Spencer. You know the rules. Now sit down and tell me everything."

"Yes, sir," he obliged, setting the shades carefully on the seat next to his before sitting down. "It was fine. After observing him for a week and a half, I knew his schedule and everything about him. I broke into his office to figure out when he would be alone next, then waited on a building across the street that had a great vantage point. Someone ended up coming into the room right as I was about to shoot so I waited until she left, but she didn't. I didn't want her to have to see it so I waited a bit longer, but then he started to try to uh... Rape her sir, so I had no choice. I shot him, clean in the head just as I've been taught. After, I got away without leaving any evidence of my presence there and came straight here."

"Good. Write up a paper of how it went, and then you're free until I call you back for your next assignment. You're dismissed." Dave stood and grabbed his shades, slipping them back on and leaving the door. He made sure to close it behind him before he found Rose.

"I'm done here for today, are you coming back to my place?"

"No, I think I'll go to Kans tonight, we have had a sleepover planned for a while now." 

"Alright, then I'll call John."

"Ooooooo, your boyyyyyfriendddddd," Rose said teasingly. "Make sure to keep it PG-13, and no unprotected sex if it turned into a Rated-R!"

"Yes, mom," Dave rolled his eyes, speaking the words before he realised it. "I'm sorry," he murmured.

"No, it's uh.. it's okay. Don't worry about it." She gave him a small smile before stepping in the opposite direction. "Tell John I said hello, and maybe me, you, Kan, and John could go on a double date sometime? You've yet to meet her."

"Yeah," he agreed. "Sounds like a plan."

He left the building and got onto his motorcycle, zooming out of the gates and to his apartment. Considering he's an assassin for a spy agency, he's living a pretty good life. His apartment was spacious. Flat screen tv on the wall, an entertainment center beneath it that had all his game systems on it (ps2, ps2 Slim, ps3, ps4, xbox, xbox 360, xbox 1, xbox 360 Slim, Wii, gamecube, etc.) His games were lined on the three shelves beneath all this systems. His couch was black and leather and had a nice table sitting in front of it which was completely spotless, save for the few controllers and remotes he left out the last time he was here. His couch left quite a bit of room behind it for people to pass by. The door to his room wasn't too far from the couch, and in it was his domain.

His room was large, to say the very least. A queen sized bed was against the furthest wall. On one side of it, a night stand stood with a lamp on it. In the drawer beneath that, was a gun, a dagger, and a few miscellaneous things. On the other side was his dresser. His dresser sat across from the foot of his bed, and that had a ton of paperwork on it. Paperwork that he had to put away before John came over. He walked over to it and started to organise the the paperwork in piles. His first mission was in the 'Done' pile, and his next few missions were in the 'New' pile. He picked up a manilla folder for each pile and put the paperwork inside of them before putting them into a lockbox. He put the lockbox at the back of his closet and closed the door as he left it. He sat on the couch and wrote out the paper about his first mission, not leaving out a single detail as told. As soon as he put the paper away his doorbell rang and he smiled. He knew was at the door.

"Come in," he called, not moving from his spot on the couch.

"Dave!" John exclaimed running and jumping onto him. "Hi! I've missed you! How was visiting your friend?"

"It was good," Dave smiled. The lie came easily to him. He didn't like the fact that it did. "We didn't really do much besides eat a ton of food and play video games," he laughed. "I fucking destroyed his ass at Mario Cart."

"Good job, babe!" John ruffled his hair, and Dave huffed. He ran his fingers through Dave's bangs to fix it then kissed his boyfriends cheek.

"And how were you during the time that I was gone?"

"I was great! I hung out with Jade a bit. I haven't really seen much of her since she started going to college but that's okay. I'm glad she's getting into higher education! I know that I wouldn't be able to do more schooling. I hate school. It made me feel terrible and dumb," John stuck out his tongue and made a silly face. Dave laughed and hugged him a little closer.

"Well no worries, you don't have to do any of that anymore." Dave, on the other hand, was doing online schooling. He wanted to get the basics out of the way, in case he decided to go to college later on in life. "I finished up all my homework early, so I'm free tonight. You wanna stay over? We can catch a movie or something?"

"Sounds perfect," John smiled and snuggled into his boyfriends chest. "I'm happy you're back. I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too," he murmured, running his fingers through the boy's hair.

John and Dave have been dating for a few years now. They started going out in their third year of high school. They've had fights, of course. Every couple has fights, but they've gotten through them. The big ones in the end brought them closer, which Dave was immensely grateful for. He loved this kid more than anything in the world. He'd do anything for him. He was actually thinking about a good time to propose to him. Not anytime soon, maybe once he's out of the agency. He's imagined it multiple times now. Taking John out to dinner and doing the whole cliche get-down-on-one-knee-and-declare-his-love before asking him, taking him to his favourite concert and proposing from the stage (he liked this idea), or saying it in passing while him and John were laying around watching a movie. He doubted John really cared how he proposed, just as long as he did at some point.

Dave reached for the remote and turned the television on, so there was noise instead of the silence. Dave didn't really like silence. Sure, it was comfortable, but it gave him too much time to think and he didn't want to find out if he mind wandered to the man he just killed when he had time to do so. A dumb cartoon was running on Cartoon network. Johnny Test or whatever it was called. Dave kissed the top of John's head a paused when his tummy grumbled. He hadn't eaten yet, he's been too busy. Assassinate, go to the agency and speak to the leader, speak to Rose, come home, tidy up a little bit, wait for John's arrival. He could have eaten when waiting for John, but he didn't think of it. "Hungry?" John laughed, sitting up.

"A little," Dave admitted.

"Want me to cook something or should we just order out?"

"Let's order out," Dave pulled the raven haired boy close again, "so you don't have to leave my arms."

"My my, you're very affectionate. Maybe you should leave more often," he joked, getting comfortable on Dave's chest again. Dave slid his fingers into John's back pockets and pulled out his phone, staring at the screen for a moment when it showed that he needed a passcode.

"Hm...... 1234."

Wrong.

"4321."

"Wrong."

"You're not going to get it," John grabbed at his phone but Dave put it over his head so he couldn't reach.

"Bullshit. Give me a minute." John could see the gears turning in Dave's head as he thought.

"1111."

Wrong.

Dave decided to go for a different route. "How about..... 1031." 1031. 10/31. The date the two boys got together. Ironically also Dave's favourite holiday.

"Wrong."

"1203." 12/03.Their first date.

Wrong.

Dave smirked and glanced at John. "0325." 03/25. The first time they had sex. "Really?" Dave snorted as the phone unlocked. "You gotta be kidding me babe."

John's face was as red as a tomato. "Shut up and give it back!" he whined, crawling up so he could reach it. Dave pushed him back and jumped up, laughing.

"No, I'm calling the pizza place. Fuck you." John got up and tried to jump for his phone, but it was well over his head. Dave dialed the numbers and put the phone to his ear. John continuously tried to grab his phone, so Dave held him at arm's length, his palm on his forehead. John tried swinging at Dave's torso playfully, and he was close to hitting him, but not quite there. Dave was laughing so hard that he had to take a moment to compose himself when the pizzeria answered.

"Hello, this is Anytime's, what can I get you?" Dave took a couple moments to refill his lungs with air and let his heart-rate slow down so he wasn't panting for breath.. "Hello?"

"Hi, yeah. Um, get me one large pizza, half pepperoni, half cheese."

"Alright, that'll be $12.48. Where to?" He gave him his address and hung up. He handed the phone back to John with a slow shake of his head, pretend disappointment all over his face.

"Shut up! It was special to me and no one would ever guess it!"

"John."

"What."

"You're adorable." Dave leaned down and kissed him softly.

"Shut up," John mumbled after, hiding his face against his chest. Years after being together and the simplest of things still flusters him. Dave loved it. He always loved making him flustered, making him blush, and especially.... Turning him on in public. That one was the best one by far. Especially when he isn't even near John. And when he's with family. John hates when Dave does it, and he definitely gets his punishment for it, but it's soooo worth it in Dave's opinion. The punishment is along the lines of what Dave likes too.

Dave, being 6'4, stoic, and usually a blank expression, was extremely submissive. John took advantage of this and made Dave do basically anything he wanted. Dave lived for the moments. He also lived for the moments when John was feeling especially curious as to what other things he could possibly do to make Dave a moaning mess beneath him. It exhilarated the blonde, he always wanted more, more, more. And he always got more.

The pizza arrived around 40 minutes later and the two of the smashed on it. The entire pizza disappeared in the time span of an hour, and they did nothing but watch movies (shitty ones, in Dave's opinion, because John always picks shitty ones but he watches them anyway because John loves them).

 

A few weeks pass, and Dave was out with Rose, eating lunch. "How are you and Kanaya?" he asked, covering his mouth so his wrap he was currently munching on didn't show. Rose, ever the lady, waited until she was finished chewing to speak.

"You know, Dave, you should really wait until you're finished chewing to speak. It's impolite and quite, shall we saw, unattractive. Besides the point, me and Kanaya are doing really well."

"Kanaya and I," he swallowed and corrected her, smirking at the flash of irritation in her eyes.

"Whatever, you know what I meant. Why'd you ask? You want the juicy details of our lesbian love sessions?" Her eyes twinkled mischievously. "I can tell you whatever you want to know."

"Only if you want to know the juicy details of my super gay love making with John," he deadpanned.

"You know I'm always a slut for details like that," she smiled sweetly. "I could use them for my wizard writing, or if it's kinky, I could use it next time me and Kanaya decide to go to my place, or maybe hers, and slowly take off our clothes, lip locked in a deep, passionate-"

"Enough! Enoughenoughenough that's enough!" Dave gagged over-dramatically at the idea."God you're so weird, why would you even TELL me that? I'm your brother!"

"Because your reactions always please me. They're hilarious. You should get into comedy and get out of the job you're in now."

"But I'm good at my job!"

"You're the best they have and you're only 20," she laughed. "It's amazing. They couldn't have trained anyone better than you. Sharp eyes, extremely agile, and you follow orders like a puppy dog. The perfect type for him."

"Hey!" He flicked a piece of lettuce at his younger sibling. "I do  _not_ follow orders like a puppy dog!" She just hummed and took another bite of her salad. "I doooooooooooooooooon't."

"Sure you don't."

"You kno-" the familiar  _ring_ of Dave's phone sounded so he paused mid-sentence and slid the his finger towards 'answer'. "Hello?"

"Spencer. Newest mission is on your way to your apartment, be ready to leave in 2 hours. You'll be gone roughly 3 days, it shouldn't take any longer than that. You're not getting paid overtime if you do go over 3 days. Study all that you can on your way to Seattle." His voice was emotionless and cold. Dave shivered slightly, closing his eyes.

"Yes sir."


	2. Chapter Two

Dave sat alone on the personal jet. He read through the paperwork of who he was supposed to be targeting next.

 

 **Name:**   _Jackson Meyers._  
**Age:** _47_  
**Height:** _6'0_  
**Appearance:**   _Tall. Brown hair. Glasses. Usually in dark suit. Mole under left eye. Blue eyes. Caucasian._  
**About:** _Kill on sight. Avoided paying a large sum of money to the agency, fled and hid for years._

Dave groaned when he read the paper. He hated knowing his targets names, yet they still gave them to him.  _Wow, brown hair, blue eyes. So descriptive. At least there one telltale sign that it's him, and it's that damn mole,_ he complained to himself, sighed, and shoved the papers back into the folder and put the folder back into the briefcase. He leaned his chair back and closed his eyes, wanting to get at least a half hour of sleep before they arrived to The Crows base in a place right outside of Seattle, WA. The next thing he knew, the flight attendant was shaking him awake with the warning that they'll be landing soon and he should prepare for it. 

The landing was simple. He grabbed his bag, pulled on his jacket and shades, and walked down the stairs onto the base. Here no one would check his bags and see that inside was his a gun, and a few syringes of poison and paralyzers, and a few different daggers, among other weapons. The bag was heavy but he didn't care. "Welcome to Varona...." the girl greeting him grew faint when she looked at who was standing in front of her. He may have only had one job so far, but word travels fast when you're the best man in the agency. "M-Mr. Sp-Spencer. Right this way!"

Dave just nodded, face blank of any emotion. It's how he had to be with this job. She nervously led him to a room in the back of the offices so he could prepare for his next job.

He slid a dagger into each of his combat boots and one into the waistband of his jeans. A small hand pistol went into his back waistband  and was hidden by his jacket. He carefully slid the syringes into pockets on the inside of his sleeves, along with his lucky dagger. He walked out of the room and past a group of people, one of them which greeted him. Their eyes followed him and he could hear their whispers. "That's  _the_  Dave Spencer? The one the Main Boss trained himself?"

"He's a lot taller than I thought he would be."

"He's a lot younger than I thought he would be."

"He's a lot  _hotter_  than I thought he would be."

He stopped dead in his tracks after the last statement, and the group went silent. "You know, I can feel your eyes on me." His sultry voice drifted back to them. "Just because I'm young doesn't mean I can't kick ass, and by ass, I mean _YOUR_ ass. Get back to work," he growled the last part before continuing his leisurely gate out the door. He jumped into the back of the car with his bag and his chauffeur sped down the road and the building behind him disappeared from sight.

He was dropped off not too far from the building, and by that time it was nearly midnight. He raised his shades once he arrived in front of the building and looked up, judging where this Jackson Meyers office was. He walked completely around the building twice before stopping in front of two side doors. Two movers were going in and out of there, bringing in boxes. As their backs were turned to the door while they were grabbing another load to haul in, he slipped through the door and zipped down the hall. He shoved himself into a walkway to wait for the one of the guys to pass by him.

"Haha, yeah, I heard the guy is a big oaf," one of the said, passing by Dave's spot without realising he was there.

"Wait up!" The other called. "I hate being in here, it's so creepy."

"You'll be fine. I'm not too far ahead."

Dave didn't want to harm anyone that he didn't need to. The guy that was left behind past by and Dave yanked him into the corner, successfully shutting him up by shoving a gag into his mouth. He took the guy's key card before sliding a needle into his neck and emptying half a syringe of paralyzer into him. That should hold him over until he's done with his job. He carefully laid the man on the ground and listened for the next guy to come back. "Who the fuck are you?"

Dave spun around and his leg was already in the air, aimed straight for the man's chest. He flew back into the wall with a thud and he sat there, dazed. Dave knelt beside him and whispered his regrets as he paralyzed him as well.  _They should be paralised for at least a day,_  Dave nodded to himself confidently. He put the first guys boxes in the room where it was supposed to go in and then used the key to enter the main floor of the building. He found the place where the computers were to observe what was happening and the guy watching them was asleep. He stealthily crept his way towards the monitor, dagger at the ready in case he woke up. He shut off the cameras but kept the system on just in case shutting it off alerted the man to his presence.

It was simple from there on out. He looked like he belonged there. He used the key to get past every door that he needed to get past, and when he couldn't, he broke in. He arrived to room 325, the room which Jackson Meyers office was in, and knelt in front of the door. He knew he couldn't get in with the key, so he started to use his lock picking skills to get it. Dave snorted at how easily it was to get into these rooms.  _It's a surprise they haven't updated their locks,_  he thought.  _They're more or less ancient. A child could pick it with a days practice._

He picked up his tools and stepped inside. He closed the door behind him and locked it, and from there he waited for morning to come. 5:00 am rolled around and footsteps rang throughout the top floor. Dave got in place behind the door and waited for Meyers to walk inside. As soon as he was inside, Dave got in position behind him, the paralyzer syringe in hand and ready to use. He stick the needle in his jugular and pushed down, releasing the green liquid. Dave shut the door behind him and carried the man to his chair behind his desk. he quickly went to work with tying him up and making sure that he wasn't able to escape. He came to an hour or so later. He used quite a bit less on this man than the two that were still currently in the basement.

When he came to, Dave already had a knife to his neck and the phone in his other hand. "Call your assistant and say you're not going to be seeing anyone today and if you don't, you're going to regret it." Dave commanded darkly, digging the blade a little harder into Meyers paling neck. He nodded quickly, so Dave dialed the numbers and held the phone to his ear.

"I will not be seeing anyone today, regardless of the matter." Meyers swallowed thickly. "Don't bother me, either. I am to beft alone for the rest of the day unless I say otherwise." Dave hung up and shoved the phone back onto its receiver. Dave pulled out a bandana and shoved it so graciously into Meyers mouth.

"So, you think you can skip out on paying Varona, huh?" The man gargled behind the gag. He struggled against the restraints and attempted to scream, which Dave promptly cut short by quickly pulling out a dagger and holding the sharp edge against his throat. "Shut the fuck up and listen to me. Do you know who I am? Blink once if you do, twice for no."

_Blink blink._

Dave sharkish grin adorned his face. "Great, so I get to tell you who is going to kill you today. Wonderful. I haven't done this before, but god it's going to probably be my favourite part." The man's eyes widened and he started shaking when Dave mentioned he was going to be killed. "Me? I'm... Spencer. Well, that's the name I chose anyway." His smirk was making Meyers shake even worse.  _Good,_  Dave thought to himself smugly. "And for avoiding Varona, you've won the right to be assassinated by yours truly. Happy with what you've won? I am." Dave slowly dragged the knife across his neck. "So, how would you like to die today? You're lucky I'm feeling gracious enough to even ask. We have the options of..... Poison. Oh, I like that one. Bleeding to death. That one is messy, and oh! I'm carrying my lucky dagger. Let's see...."

Dave dragged his bag out from behind the door and released it once he was in front of the man. He pulled out one of everything and smiled sadistically. He set them down and stood up, brushing off invisible dust from his legs. "Ah, that's all. Poison, knifes, fire.. That one stinks though. Guns, but those are loud. I might stick with one of the first two. Which one sounds better?"

Meyers whimpered and Dave's eyes darkened. "Pathetic," he scoffed. "You're pathetic. You think whimpering is going to do anything? Man the fuck up. You're about to be killed by one of the best assassins currently out there. Feel fucking proud of yourself. You're the one that got yourself into this situation in the first place." He loomed above him, feeling powerful in a whole new way. He might just start killing people when they're close, instead of using a gun from far away. It's such an adrenaline rush. "You're not even fucking sorry, are you? Well, not that I care. But that's sickening. Stealing isn't cool."

Meyers widened his eyes in disbelief. "Yo, I'm cool with killing piece of shits like you, cleaning the world we live in if you must know. I wouldn't kill someone innocent. I'm not that heartless." Dave started putting some of his belongings back in the bag. He took his time choosing between his first two choices and after some thought, he put the poison in the bag carefully. "Not your lucky day, man." Dave sighed. "I decided to do what I do best, and use the knives."

Dave did his dirty work quickly. He put trap all around the chair to make sure the mess wasn't a huge one and could be easily cleaned up. Meyers started crying at some point, which Dave just ignored, until he was ready. By then, the crying was pissing him off. "God, you're worse than a fuckin kid whose candy got taken away by their parents on Halloween night. Shut up and take your death like a fucking man."

Dave wanted to play a little. He dragged the knife down Meyers leg, smiling slightly and the rush of blood that followed. Meyers jolted in pain, but Dave didn't seem to mind. In fact, it seemed to fuel him further. He did the exact same, just deeper, on his other leg and laughed, actually  _laughed_  at the pain he was causing. "God this is great, I wonder why I haven't done this before." After that sentence, he decided to just finish it and sliced Meyers jugular wide open. He watched the man bleed out, and casually glanced at the time. It wasn't even 7 am yet.  _I could really go for some breakfast. Maybe some cafe?_ he mused, waiting for Meyers to stop moving completely. Dave shoved the bloody tarps into garbage bags he had in his bag too. He tried to not get any on the sleek floor, and whatever he did manage to get on the floor, he cleaned up. He untied Meyers and took his gag out and threw them in the garbage as well. The bloody crime-filled bags were safely stored in his bag and Dave made his escape. He acted as if he belonged there, and used the place where he came in to leave. He walked a block or so away before calling his chauffeur to pick him up and to have Rose choose a new set of clothes for him to change into.

Dave slid into his seat and closed the door behind him. "Take me to some cafe that's no where near this building, and burn this bag when you get back to the headquarters." 

"Yes sir."

Most of the car ride passed in silence. Dave occasionally asked a question or two, such as "Do you have a favourite cafe here?" and "What if ninjas were real and they saved the town of evil?" The driver answered yes, and that he hoped to god he was one. Dave liked his last answer. Grabbing the clothes his sister picked out from the seat beside hi, Dave closed the barrier between the front seat and the back seat. Rose decided on a pair of black skinny jeans and a sweatshirt that had a purple-hued galay across all of it. To go underneath was a black v-neck t-shirt. It was to be paired with a pair of combat boots (which Dave didn't mind, he loved combat boots) and a dark grey sweater and beanie that was the exact same colour. Dave figured they came together. After changing, Dave messed with his hair in the mirror that was on his side of the barrier. He wanted the whole 'I-didn't-even-try" look to it.

He snorted to himself.  _It's funny that this whole 'I-didn't-even-try' look requires me to try a lot._ Once he got his hair the way he wanted it to be, he slid his beanie and shades on and let the barrier roll down. He reached up and turned on the radio, jamming to The Weeknd until he got to his destination.

20 minutes later, he was closing the car door behind him. The wind blew leaves around his feet and effectively chilled him to the bone. He wrapped his sweater-covered arms around himself and walked into the cafe. He stepped into line and once to the front, he ordered a simple hot cocoa. He went and sat in a booth, waiting for the guy manning everything behind the counter to call his name. "Dave!" he called out, setting his drink on the counter before rushing to the next customer. Dave got his drink and sat back down, sinking into the cushions. He pulled his sleeves so they covered his hands and wrapped his hands around the styrofoam cup. He sighed in contentment as the warmth spread through his body. He took off the top and blew on the cocoa, the stream rising up in curls. He took a sip and smiled slightly. After a few more minutes of letting it cool down, he stood up and left the cafe. His breath came out in a white cloud once outside and he smiled to himself. He loved the cold.  _I don't want to go back yet,_  he thought to himself.  _I'll take a walk instead._  He walked down the street for a while and a couple blocks away, he froze.

The pulsing lights drew him in. The noisiness drew him in.  _No, you've been good. You don't need this._ It's been awhile since Dave went out to the club. He didn't have a need to anymore, but... This club was about to give him a reason to. 

_No, don't go in._

_What's the worst that could happen?_

_You know the worst, don't do it._

_Just for a little bit. You have better self control than that._

Dave gave in to the devil on his shoulder and got in line for the club. "ID?"

Dave pulled out his wallet and showed the person guarding the doors his ID. He shoved the card back into his wallet before stepping inside. He could feel the bass in his chest and he grinned. It felt so good. The lights were everywhere and it was so  _warm_  inside. He walked towards the bar and started to peel off his sweater and scarf. He folded them up neatly and placed them on a seat next to his. "What can I get ya?" the bartender asked, sidling over.

"Long Island Iced Tea." Dave put down the money for it and leaned on the counter. He watched the bartender make it. He's always been interested in it, there was a certain art to making drinks. The bartender handed him his drink and took his money away, returning with the change a short time after. Dave sipped his drink and looked around the club. The crowd in front of him was jumping along to the EDM music that bared through the speakers. His gaze wandered to the left of him and stopped on a guy several seats down from him. A cute guy, Dave noted. He sipped his drink and observed him from behind the protection of his shades. Hair coiffed into the perfect windblown look. Bright green eyes, freckles littering his cheeks. He was pale, but not as pale as Dave was. Dave's eyes traveled along his arms (which Dave noted were very nice), to his hands (which Dave also noted they were, as one would say, daddy hands). His observation stopped as he noticed what was in the guys hands. He looked away and frowned, taking a large drink of his alcoholic beverage. While he wasn't looking, Greeneyes moved to the seat next to his.

"Hi."

".... Hi," came Dave's apprehensive response. "Can I help you?"

"It's more of a can  _I_  help  _you_."

Dave was confused but he kept his stoic look on his face. "What?"

Greeneyes grabbed his wrist and pulled him off his seat. Dave glanced back at his stuff as he was dragged away. He didn't fight the guy, he let Greeneyes pull him into the bathroom. Greeneyes closed the door behind him and smirked. "How much you want?"

"Excuse me?"

"How much do you want, man? The blow, snow, white lady, the cocaine."

"None." Dave responded quickly.

"C'mon, you know that's not true."

"No, I.. I don't want any," he said with uncertainty.

"C'mon, just think about it." Greeneyes pulled out the baggy and held it in front of Dave's eyes. "Think about how you feel when you use it."

Dave's nose started to burn and his palms got sweaty. "Stop."

"Making you tweak, is it? You know you want some. How much?"

"None, I've been sober for a while now......" Dave's voice trailed off as Greeneyes moved the bag back and forth. Dave's eyes never left it.

"I'll ask one more time.  _How. Much. Do. You. Want?_ "

Dave quickly pulled out his wallet and gave Greeneyes a hundred dollar bill. "However much this can get me." Greeneyes raised the money in the air and checked to see if it was real before smiling.

"2 grams, here you go." He tossed Dave the bag and Dave caught the small baggy in his hand and he cradled it like it was a baby.

Dave moved the guy aside and stood in front of the bathroom door, blocking Greeneyes escape. "You're not leaving until I know it's good shit or else I'm getting my money back and finding someone better to get it from."

"Smart," Greeneyes complimented. He leaned against one of the sinks as Dave pulled out his drivers license, ID, and a dollar bill. He made two lines on the ID, glancing at Greeneyes before rolling up the bill and doing his line. He threw his head back as the burn in his nose intensified. It felt  _good_. He's missed it so much. He offered a line to Greeneyes, which he gladly took.

"So, Greeneyes."

"Greeneyes? Is that what you've been calling me?" Amused, Greeneyes handed the bill back and Dave set it aside.

"Well, yeah. You haven't introduced yourself, so that's what I've been calling you in my mind."

Greeneyes hummed and smiled at him. "M'names Lucas, by the way." He held out his hand for Dave to shake. Dave shook his hand then readied another line.

"I'm Dave."

"Well,  _Dave_. Do you ever take those shades off?"

Dave did a line before responding. "No." His phone buzzed in his pocket. Dave ignored it, thinking it was a text message but when it kept buzzing, he reluctantly pulled it out of his back pocket and answered it without looking at the caller ID. "Hello?" he said, slightly annoyed.

"Dave!"

Instantly, Dave's demeanor changed. "Hey," he smiled slightly.

"When's the next time you have a night free?" John's over excited voice came through the other line.

"Uh, this weekend, probably. Why?"

"No reason! Oh! I gotta go, I'll text you later!" Dave chuckled at his boyfriend and hung up, not bothering to say goodbye. He hated saying goodbye to John. He pocketed his phone and turned his gaze to Greeney- Lucas.

"Say, Lucas?"

"Hm?" he looked up from the text he was forming.

"Let's go out there and have fun." The effects already hit Dave, and the little bit of alcohol he consumed wasn't helping. He knew it wasn't exactly safe to do coke and drink alcohol, but he didn't care. If it killed him, oh well. At least that was his mindset right then.

The two boys left the bathroom, Dave's coke safe in his back pocket. He grabbed Lucas' wrist and pulled him into the crowd of sweaty people that were enjoying the booming music and lights. Dave jumped to the beat of the music, getting lost in it. Lucas was beside him and he felt  _alive_. Dave felt  _free_. He wasn't thinking about what he does, or John, or his sister. His mind was filled with musical notes, or so it seemed. The music was floating around him, just out of reach whenever he tried to grab a note. Lucas grew tired and dragged Dave back to the bar. Dave's sweater and scarf was still in his spot, along with his drink. Dave went to grab the drink, but Lucas slapped his hand. "No, you're going to have water."

"What, why?"

"Alcohol doesn't mix well with blow, man."

Dave got handed a water and he frowned, downing it in seconds. The rest of the night was a blur to Dave.

 

He woke up at a hotel,  _a really nice hotel,_  he noticed. He pulled on his sweater and boots, grabbed his scarf from the chair it was discarded on and left, not without making sure his beloved white drug was in his pocket. He returned the key to the front desk and walked out into the midday sunshine. He called his chauffeur and had him drive him back to the headquarters. He tried remembering what happened the night before but couldn't. He did remember, though, Lucas typing in his phone number. _  
_

_**To:**  _  ** _Greeneyes_  
**_hey just wanted to text you so you have my number_

 **_To: Greeneyes  
_ ** _its dave btw_

 **_From: Greeneyes  
_ ** _Hey._

They exchanged texts the entire ride back to headquarters. He pocketed his phone when they arrived and when he walked inside, clapping sounded everywhere. His face was blank while everyone congratulated him on his success. "It on the news?" he asked.

"Yup!"

"Damn, too bad I don't have enough time to see it." He walked towards his plane and the flight attendant opened the door for him. He stepped inside, gave a single wave, and then he was gone.


	3. Chapter Three

The upcoming week was boring. No new assignments, he was stuck at home with the occasional visit from Rose. He spent his time being as high as he could handle it. He got in contact with his old dealers. He didn't have self control, and he knew he shouldn't have gone in the club, but  _oh god, how he's missed this feeling._ He didn't tell John about this, at all. John never knew that Dave had some bad addictions. Dave wouldn't even admit to himself why he was doing it though. It helped him not sleep, though. Subconsciously, he was too anxious to sleep. Too scared that somehow his last kill will show up, even though the one before that didn't take residency up in his dreams. _  
_

He set the coke aside for Xanax. He took a good amount and waited for it to hit him. Once it did, he cleaned the entire apartment and rearranged his room. Dave didn't know how many days passed, he had no reason to keep track.

A knock on his door shook him from a small nap he was taking. He got up and peeked through the peephole.  _Shit._  It was John, and Dave couldn't let him in yet. Coke was on the table as were different pills. "Just a minute!" he called, frantically trying to gather the pills in his hand. "Let me clean my mess up and I'll let you in."

"Dave, you know I don't care how your place looks," John laughed.

"No, I uh. I spilled my drink. Yeah, gotta clean it up first." Dave snorted the last line of cocaine he had out and dropped the pills into a baggie. he shoved the baggie into the back of his closet wiped down the table real quick to get rid of any evidence. He rushed to the door and opened, a smile on his face.

John didn't say anything for a moment, momentarily starstruck by Dave's shirtless body. "Damn," he said after a moment, looking up into your eyes "You're fucking pale."

"Yeah, I know. Pale as Casper the fuckin Friendly Ghost," Dave smiled, stepping aside. "Sorry, I uh.. I look like a downright mess right now."

"That's fine, just get ready for a night out, okay? I can wait here."

"Night out? Is it a date?" he poked the shorter boys cheek. "Aw, cutie. You're taking me on a date!"

"Yeah, now hurry!" John laughed, shoving Dave in the direction of the bathroom. "Go shower, stinky. Get dressed nice."

"Will do, nerd."

Dave quickly showered and left the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. John was sitting on the couch, looking at his phone. He looked up when Dave exited and smirk. "Too bad towels aren't exactly... suitable for the date."

"Maybe we can have a second date after," Dave winked, "where even towels aren't needed." Johns face heated up and he looked away and nodded. Dave went to his room and dressed himself up in a pair of back skinny jeans (no surprise there) and a nice button up. He left his shades off and went to dry his hair. John joined him and hugged the blonde around the waist while he did his hair.

"Looking good as always," John commented.

"Only for you," was the response Dave gave. He put down the hair dryer and brushed off the front of his shirt. He ran his fingers through his hair a few times until he was satisfied, then kissed the top of Johns head. "Ready?"

"Yes!" John lifted up Dave's shades and put them on for him. Dave smiled and laughed.

"Dork. What's the plans for tonight?"

"You'll see!" John chirped, interlacing their fingers before dragging Dave out of the apartment. He let Dave lock up before continuing to pull him out of the complex. Dave got into the passenger seat of his boyfriends car and off they went. Dave didnt let go of Johns hand though. He didn't know what it was about holding his hand, but it made him feel safe. Not that he didn't feel safe already. Hell, he was  _Spencer_  for crying out loud. It was something... Something that Spencer couldn't obtain. Emotion safety, maybe? Whenever they held hands, Dave felt soothed and connected on another level. Maybe that's what he meant. He spent his time thinking about it but shrugged it off after a while.  _Whatever_ , he thought.  _Maybe I just love holding hands with the boy of my dreams._

"Close you eyes," John instructed. Dave did what he was told, and the car stopped 2 minutes later. John turned off the ignition and smiled. "Okay, open them."

Dave did and immediately turned to kiss John sweetly. "A drive in movie? Johnny boy, you've stolen my heart," Dave dramatically covered where his heart is with his hands.

"Shut the fuck up," he laughed. "C'mon, I got blankets and pillows in the trunk, we can make a bed out of the front hood of the car."

Dave grabbed the blankets while John grabbed the pillows. Dropping all but one blanket on the ground, Dave hit John with the end of it. "Help me out." John grabbed the part of the blanket that hit him and helped Dave lower it over the hood. They layered another blanket on top of it to make sure it was comfy, then the pillows were placed. John climbed onto their makeshift bed and Dave soon joined him. The movie started playing 10 minutes after, and they just laid there. Dave didn't pay attention to the movie. He paid attention to his wonderful boyfriend. The way his hair fell gently across his face. His freckles that were just barely there. His nose that was a little red because of the temperature outside. John glanced at him and Dave smiled.

"What..? Do I have something on my face?" John rubbed his sleeve across his mouth. Dave chuckled and shook his head.

"Nothing is on your face. I was just admiring you."

"Admiring me?" John propped himself up with his elbows, his glasses slightly askew.

Dave reached over a centered the glasses and nodded. "Admiring you. You're gorgeous."

"Shhh!" John's face turned pink. "Shut up, no I'm not."

"Nah, you really are." Dave leaned up and kissed John quickly. "The gorgeousestest."

"Dave, that's not even a word."

"It is now because you're more gorgeous than gorgeousest."

"Loser," John mumbled, settling back down and scooting closer to the warmth of his boyfriend. He snuggled up close and Dave wrapped his arms around him, shifting his attention to the movie. He played with John's hair, and he was content. He loved this boy more than anything. Dave kept thinking about the future with him. He wanted to marry the kid, without a doubt. He wanted to be with him for the rest of his life, and he was lucky enough for John to feel the same way. Dave got butterflies just thinking about it.

The movie ended and the boys packed up. Once in the car, John started it up and and turned the heat on. "That was a nice movie."

"You weren't even paying attention, dummy. How would you know?" Dave laughed and shrugged.

"If you liked it, then it was a good movie."

"Liar, you think my movie taste is shitty."

"That's because it is."

"Shut up, we're not done with this date by the way."

"Oh?"

"We're about to do the gayest thing I could think of."

"Sex?" Dave raised an eyebrow above his shades.

"No!" John exclaimed, laughing. "No, not sex. Maybe that could come later, but not now. No, we're going... wait for it... wait for it...... Stargazing."

"God that's so fucking gay."

The rest of the ride was aimless chit chat and name calling between the two as John drove to the perfect spot to stargaze.

"Okay! We're here, get out and bring uh.... The blankets and pillows again."

Dave exited the car and grabbed what they needed. John grabbed his hand and the two of the trekked down a path for about 5 minutes before stopping. It was a simple field, but with perfect view of the darkening sky. They laid down the blankets and pillows and made themselves comfortable. The boys talked about anything and everything under the sky, but Dave wasn't entirely focused on his lover next to him. Dave was itching to get back to his place, to get out the baggies of drugs and party with himself. He didn't say so, though.  _It's not like I_ don't  _want to be here,_  he reasoned to himself.  _Because I do, a lot. It's been great. I just.. Need it._  He felt ashamed that he was already to the 'needing' part again. He buried his face in Johns neck and sighed softly.

"Everything okay, babe?" John worriedly asked.

Dave groaned quietly in response.

"Daaaave, talk to me. What's wrong? Did I do something? Is the date not as good as you wanted it to be?"

"No, baby, the date's been perfect. There's just... A lot going on in my mind, that's all."

"Like what?"

Dave sighed softly. "Work," he lied. "It's been stressful lately. That's all."

"Aw... Can I do anything to help?" Dave just shook his head no and curled up against the smaller boy. "You sure?"

"Just keep doing what you've been doing. It helps more than you know." John ran his fingers down the blondes arm gently.

"Okay, Dave," he said quietly. They laid in silence until John noticed something. "Dave look! I think it's a shooting star!"

"Make a wish," he yawned.

"Okay. I wish tha-"

"Not out loud, dummy."

"Oh, okay." John scrunched up his face in concentration, as if it would make his wish come true. "Done!"

"Cute."

"Did you make a wish?"

"Of course I did."

"What did you wish for?"

"It's a secret." The corner of Dave's mouth twitched into a smile.

"Aw, no fair."

"What's not fair is the fact I'm freezing my balls off. Can we go?" Dave sat up, shivering to help his cause.

"Of course! Hey, can I stay over tonight? I've missed you."

Dave took a moment to think about it, weighing his options. If John is there, he'll get cuddles, food, and probably sex, but if he didn't stay..... Dave would be free to get as high as he wanted.  _Or I can do both,_  Dave reasoned with himself,  _just not when John is in the room with me. So like, in the bathroom._ "Yeah, you can. I don't have any plans."

John got up and wrapped one blanket around Dave's shoulders and picked the other one up. "Grab the pillows, please?" Dave did as John asked and waddled his way to the car. He put away the pillows but kept the blanket around him, and plopped into the passenger seat, sinking down and pulling the blanket closer around him.

Once back at the apartment, Dave immediately went into his room and John went into the kitchen to make something simple but tasty for the two to share. "I'm gonna shower," Dave called out, grabbing the baggy and hiding it in a pile of his clothes.

"Okay, make it quick! Dinner'll be ready in like 20 minutes, maybe 30..... Or longer, if I can't figure out how to do this."

Dave laughed and walked into the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind him. He undressed to his boxers and shoved his clothing into the corner behind the door. After turning on the shower to make it sound like he was already in the shower, he stood at the sink and gripped the edges of it, staring into the mirror that was positioned above. He flipped his hair out of his face and glanced down at the baggy. He could hear John clanging around in the kitchen, looking for a pot, so he grabbed his key and scooped out a small bump with the end of his key. He raised it to his nose and sniffed it up, and did that several more times before setting both key and baggy down. He hid the stuff in his dirty pile of clothes and hopped into the shower. He got out a few minutes before dinner was ready and he got into his comfy clothes. He shoved the stuff in the back of his closet again and tossed his dirty clothes into the hamper before exiting his room and flopping on to the couch, waiting his food to arrive in front of him.

He reached forward from his sitting position and grabbed the grey remote so he could turn the TV on. He flipped through the channels before settling on Criminal Minds. He fucking loved this show more than he loved life. Spencer Reid was his fucking baby and his heart swelled at the sight of him. He read the description and snorted. It was the one about a hitman.  _Ironic,_ he thought, leaning back and shifting into a more comfortable position.

John placed the silver plate on the mahogany table in front Dave. He plopped his fine rump next to his boyfriend and pulls his ankles in so he was sitting crosslegged. He lifted the fork to his mouth but paused right before shoving the noodles into his mouth. "Dave? You okay?"

Dave distractedly looked back at John, his pupils larger than they should have been. "Yeah, I'm uh. I'm fine. Finer than your ass, which is hard to be, by the way." He looked at his food and leaned over, taking a bite of it. "It's good, Egtwerp."

"Daaaaave," John whined, punching your shoulder playfully. "I told you not to call me thaaaat."

Dave let a small smile grace his face before he took another bite. "I'm a Strider, babe. I don't listen to anyone but myself. And sometimes Bro or Dirk. only bro if he has that creepy fucking puppy with him." Dave visibly shuddered as he remembered the lifeless eyes of the doll Bro called Cal. He didn't say much after, taking the time to look around the room. _It's getting messy,_ he noted.  _Should probably clean when he leaves._ He rubbed his eyes tiredly, the bags starting to show.

"Have you been sleeping okay lately?"

"Yeah, why?"

"You have... bags under your eyes that wasn't there before..."

"Didn't you know, John? These bags right here," Dave got super close to John's face, pointing at the blue-ish coloured skin under his eyes, "this shit is Gucci. Cost me a lot of money. The best there is."

John frowned and touched his boyfriends face though. "You're getting skinnier too... Are you  _sure_ you're okay? I'm worried.."

"I'm fine, John." Dave shifted away and rubbed his cheeks, hoping to get some colour in them. He didn't think he looked  _that_ different. Maybe his face was a little gaunt-looking but there could be excuses for that! He's been eating very little because he's been busy or something, right? Or that he had a cold a little bit ago that kept him from eating but now he's in tip-top shape. Dave sighed internally, knowing that the brunette sitting on his couch would never believe him. He chanced a glance at John, and he was just sitting there, playing with his food. "I'm sorry I snapped," Dave murmured, reaching over and placing his hand on John's jean-clad knee. "I'm fine, really. Just a bit stressed. Work, yanno?"

"Yeah.. Yeah, okay. Work must be stressful. I'm sorry, I'm just worried. I love you, you know that," he laughed nervously. "So I worry a lot because I uh... I love you. Shit, I just said that. Sorry," he laughed again but was cut off by Dave's lips against his own.

It was soft and sweet, Dave's thumb rubbing the other boys jawline in attempt to calm the boys nerves. He pulled away but stayed nose to nose, staring into John's cerulean blue eyes. Eyes that lit up so easily and was so full of life. He hoped John couldn't see the paling of his, the emptiness that was taking place of what was there before because of the drugs. He gave a soft smile and kissed John quickly once again. "I love you. Thank you for worrying me." He sat up straight and smirked slightly. "Dweeb."

"Oh, fuck you," John smiled happily, taking one of Dave's pale hands in his own, lacing his fingers with the long, bony ones of his lovers. They began eating once again in silence, but it was a comfortable silence. A happy silence that was only broken by the forks scraping the plate or a laugh here and there when something entertaining enough to elicit a response from either of the boys happened on tv. Dinner was finished and plates were abandoned for cuddling. Dave trailed his fingers down the arms wrapped around his waist gently.

It wasn't long before Dave got bored of TV and wanted a little something extra from his boyfriend. "Joooohn," he mumbled, kissing the side of his neck lightly, lips barely ghosting over the pale skin. "I'm bored. You should... Entertain me." He nipped at the vulnerable flesh and John sucked in a breath.

"Oh yeah? How?"

"You know how," Dave smirked, pushing one hand up John's shirt. He closed his eyes and let his hand wander, tracing the slight abs his boyfriend was getting. Dave brought his lips up to his ear and nipped gently. "Have you been working out, baby?"

"A l-little," John stammered, not used to Dave being so forward about things. Usually John was the one who initiated anything. Sex was something Dave could live without, but could participate in if John wanted it.

Dave smiled a little a pulled John's shirt up a little. "This okay?" he asks, because even after the years he's been with John, consent is still important. John merely nodded and Dave lifted his shirt up. John raised his arms and Dave pulled it off, flinging it onto the floor beside them before ravishing his chest with his lips. John lets out soft moans which fueled Dave. His lips ghosted over John's right nipple, and it earned a squeak from the brunette boy. Dave shivered in anticipation and flicked the tip of his tongue against it, reveling in the way John arched his back slightly off the couch. Dave pulled back and lightly blew, the nipple growing harder as it got colder. Hedid the same to the other nipple before kissing a line back to the middle of his chest. John's right hands snaked its way down and his fingers lightly gripped onto the blonde locks that rests below him. John gave a tug to signal he was done being submissive, and Dave bit his lip, letting his head jerk with the tugs.

"My turn," John said huskily, pushing Dave back so he was lying down. He crawled his way up to Dave's face and urgently pressed his lips to the other boy's. John straddled Dave's waist and licked Dave's lower lip, almost begging for entrance. Dave refused, which earned him a growl from John. Dave slid his hand under Dave's head grabbed a handful of hair, and tugged harder than he did before. Dave gasped and let out a small while John took advantage of the moment and slipped his tongue into his lovers mouth. Dave's brain momentarily shut down, lost in the pure bliss of the kiss. Dave's hands squeezed John's waist and pulled him down and forward so he was grinding slightly jerkily down on the blonde. Dave whimpered at the friction between them. John got the hint and started grinding down harder; he trailed kisses to Dave's neck and started sucking. Dave squirmed underneath him, his nails were dragged down John's back while trying to pull him closer. Dave lifted his hips so they rutted against each other again; he wanted the friction again, badly. He was already sporting semi-hard on, and John wasn't too much better.

Things were getting sloppy and lustfilled. John pulled away from Dave's neck to undo his pants. His fingers fumbled with the button and he cursed in impatience. Dave chuckled softly and set John's hands to the side. He unbuttoned his own pants and unzipped them, then moved to John's pants. Once he unzipped them, he slid his hand inside to palm John. John threw his head back and bit his lip to keep from moaning. Dave dipped his fingers beneath the waistband of his boxers and John's breathing hitched. His fingers went further down and soon enough, his whole hand was inside the brunettes boxers. John frantically pulled Dave's hand out and kissed him deeply. He moved his lips to beside Dave's ears and whispered sexily into his ear.

"Baby boy, let's take this to the bedroom."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys, I'm not one for smut. I have one story with it in it, and I plan to keep it that way haha. At least you have the hardcore makeout session :)


	4. Chapter Four

John left the next morning before Dave woke up, saying he had something he needed to go do with his cousin all day Dave shrugged it off, used to John flitting away to do weird things with Jake. Dave decided to go visit his sister at her apartment with the intention of telling her something that he's been wanting to do for a while now.

He didn't even bother knocking when he got there, he just walked right in. "Rosieeee," he called and smirked to himself. He was probably going to be hit for calling her that, he knew she hated it.

"Davieeee," she called back and waltzed over to him, socking him in the arm. "How are you, big brother of mine?"

"I am swell, little sister of mine," he replied, wincing when her fist met his upper arm. "How are you and Kanaya?" Dave sensed the change in atmosphere as soon as he brought her lovers name up.

"We're.. We're fine. She just decided to leave... For her parents house.. For a while."

"Why?" Dave inquired. The two girls were usually inseparable, but that  _was_ only coming from Rose's side of the story. Maybe she was lying so he wouldn't worry.

"It started off with me complaining about her new habit of smoking cigarettes. You know how much I hate those cancer sticks," she began. Dave hoped his guiltiness didn't show up in his expression, because boy oh boy, he would be  _dead_ if she found out what he's been doing. "I told her all the bad things about them and she started to yell at me for everything I do, which is nowhere  _near_ as bad as her damn cigarettes. Leaving knitting needles out, yawn all over the place, water bottle scattered around. Those things can be easily picked up, but cancer isn't always treatable!" Rose was getting fired up over this, but she was cut short by Dave's phone ringing.

"Spencer," he answered after checking the caller ID.

"You and your sister need to get to Varona as soon as possible. There's a meeting." The unknown voice clicked off as soon as they said what they needed to say. Dave pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at it.

"We have to go to Varona?"

"Why?" Rose looked just as confused as Dave felt.

"No idea. They just told me that we have to be there asap. So, grab your jacket, get on some shoes, and let's blow this popsicle stand." Rose laughed and turned around, grabbing the things she needed.

"Race you to the car." She smirked as she ran past the older blonde.

"NO FAIR!" he shouted after her. He laughed and started to run after her. Dave quickly gained on her. His legs were longer and she was out of breath by the time she reached the door that leads to the outside, unlike Dave. Dave posted himself on the trunk of his car while he waited for his sister to arrive.

"You know, you're supposed to let girls win," she said dryly, shoving him off the trunk. He stumbled down and caught himself before he hit the cement. He laughed and shook his head.

"That doesn't count if the girl is my sister."

"Jerk."

"You know it, sweetcheeks," Dave said in an overly warm tone. Dave opened the passenger door and Rose slid inside, buckling the seatbelt. He then slid across the front hood and got into his seat. He started the car and pulled out of the parking lot.

"Why do you think they're having a meeting?"

Dave shrugged, keeping his eyes trained on the road. "Who knows. It is worrisome, though."

"Very," Rose agreed. Dave hummed in response and stayed quiet the rest of the drive. Soon enough they arrived at Varona and they were escorted inside by a man in a suit.

They were led into one of the conference rooms. In the middle of the room sat a large table. Half of the table was already filled with workers and other assassins that neither Dave nor Rose knew very well. Dave took the seat furthest from everyone, and Rose took the one beside him. He waited and watched the clock, noticing the trickle of people that came into the room. Dave boredly sighed and glanced at the man sitting at the very front of the table. It was the boss. Once every seat in the room was taken, the door closed, light's dimmed, and the boss stood up.

"Next week," he started off, not bothering to say hello, "there will be a ball at a venue downtown. Formal. It's a celebration of Varona existing for 15 years." Dave nearly snorted but stopped himself before any noise came out.  _Yeah, throw a party for a place that hosts killers and other things._

"Are we allowed to bring someone that doesn't work here?" someone inquired.

"Yes, but they are not to know what happens around here. Only that you work for us." Dave let a small smile come to his face. Maybe he could bring John, if he wasn't busy. The thought of going to a  _ball_ was absurd, but going to one with John might make it bearable. The boss started to talk again, but Dave tuned him out, choosing to think of John in a suit instead. Damn. Just imagining John in a suit was a pleasant thing for Dave. He hasn't seen John in a suit since Prom, senior year. Last time either of them have been in a suit for a serious reason, they got laid. Dave smirked to himself. Maybe it would happen again.

The meeting was soon over with and Rose jostled Dave to get his attention back from the dreamland where it was currently occupied. "C'mon, I'm hungry and you're going to feed me," Rose smiled. Dave blinked himself back from dreamland where he and John were getting it on and looked up at her. Everyone else had vacated the room without him noticing. Dave nodded and scooted his chair back and stood up, pushing the chair back into place before he followed his younger sister out of the room.

"Where do you want to eat?"

"Well, I thought maybe we could go and try something new we've never had before? There's this Greek restaurant a couple cities away. I've wanted to try it for the longest of times, but I haven't been able to get out there yet. I wanted to take Kanaya, but she's... Yeah. Wanna go there?"

"Greek, hm?" Dave pondered for a moment, shoving his hands into his pockets. He continued walking to the front doors so they could leave. "Yeah, I could go for some Greek. I don't think I've ever had Greek food in all honesty. Is it good?"

"I wouldn't be suggesting it if it wasn't, dear brother of mine." Rose waved goodbye to some of the workers that they passed by. "Also, I need a dress for this ball. So, you're going to help me go shopping. I'm assuming you need a new suit as well? You don't wear them often enough to actually own one. You probably rent whatever ones you wear." Dave grimaced. She was right. He never owned a suit, always rented one or borrowed a friends. Rose rolled her eyes in a n "I knew it" way. "Precisely. So, this weekend, we're going shopping for a new suit and dress whether you like it or not."

"Sounds like a plan," Dave agreed.

 

The drive to The Greek Restaurant With A Name Neither Of Them Could Pronounce was loud. Dave was belting lyrics that he knew and making up his own when he didn't, leaving Rose dying in the other seat. Rose, at some point, turned the station to some random one and attempted to sing opera to the songs on there, and Dave was cackling in his seat, trying to drive straight. He loved being around Rose when it was just the two of them. He felt like he didn't have to hide parts of him away. Even around John, he wasn't so carefree. He's always been the cool-type, he's never really had a chance to bring the odd side out. Even while they were in high school, Dave was a popular kid and John was the nerd. When they began to get close, John still hadn't seen all the parts of Dave, but that was okay by him because Dave was worried back then that John wouldn't like him anymore. By now, it's just become habit to reserve himself.

Rose and Dave piled out of the car and walked side by side into the Restaurant. It was cute and quaint. The inside was modeled to look like the inside of a greek temple. There were pillars lining the walls. In between each pillar sat a statue of one of the many Gods. The tables were a deep grey with swirling designs on them. The chairs were black and simple, and the seats on them were soft to the couch.

A lady dressed in all black with a white apron on stoof by a podium, ready to greet the two blondes. "Welcome to Aesculapius. Table for two?" Dave nodded and the lady gathered two menus. "Booth or seat?"

"Booth, please," Rose said sweetly.

"Follow me." She turned away from the podium and led the them to their table.

"Chairs make my ass hurt," Rose commented quietly enough so the hostess wouldn't hear. Dave had to hold back a snort, covering his mouth and faking a cough instead.

"Here you are," the hostess smiled and set down the two menus. "Your waiter should be over soon." Dave slid into his seat and Rose took the spot across from him. The both picked up the menu and scanned it.

"Wanna get some Tiropita?" Rose questioned. Dave quickly found it on the menu.  _Tiropika: Layered pastry pie with a feta cheese filling._

"Sure." He continued to look through the menu until he found something that made his tastebuds water. He set his menu down and waited for the waiter to arrive. Shortly after Rose set her menu down, the waiter showed up.

"I'm so sorry for taking so long," he apologised, setting down two glasses of water. "It's a tad busy in here. What can I get you to drink?"

"I'm good with the water," Rose replied. Dave nodded in agreement.

"Are you ready to order or do you need a few minutes?"

"I think we're both ready to order," Dave spoke up this time. The waiter, whose name tag read Jeffrey, took out his pad of paper and a pen. "We want the Tiropikas. I'll have the Fasolada soup?" He glanced at Jeffrey to confirm that he said it correctly. Jeffrey nodded. "And I'll also have Yemista."[  
](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasolada)

"And for you?" he looked towards Rose.

"To keep it simple, I'll have a Greek Salad and the Gyros." Jeffrey flipped his notepad closed and slid it into the pocket on his apron.

"Coming right up," he smiled at them and took their menus.

"What the fuck did you order?" Rose asked, amused.

"Some bean soup and baked stuffed vegetables," Dave laughed. "You?"

"Obviously a salad, and some meat with vegetables wrapped in a pita bread."

"Sounds delicious. Hey, Rose. Now's a good time as nay but I need to talk to you about something." Rose tilted her head and nodded, as if to say 'go on'. "Well, you know how I've been with John for a very long time, yeah?"

"Mhm, it's been what, 5 or 6 years now?"

"Yeah," Dave smiled just thinking about it. "And they've been incredible. I was thinking that maybe.. Maybe I should take it to the next level soon?"

"Next level as in marriage?"

"Yeah... I'm thinking of proposing to him. I really do love him, Rose. I know that I'm young and he's young, but.. He's the one. I feel it. Everything just feels so complete when I'm with him."

"Go for it!" Rose smiled. "I"m glad you're finally getting to it. You guys were meant for each other."

"You don't think he'll say no?"

"Most definitely not."

Dave smiled and thought about how he was going to do it. Jeffrey came back and placed their food in front of them. They made idle chitchat while they ate, and when they were done, Dave payed the bill. "Do you have anywhere you want me to drop you off somewhere?"

"Drop me off at my apartment, I'm gonna clean up and attempt to talk to Kanaya," Rose sighed. "You and your proposal is making me want to make things right between me and her really badly."

 

Dave walked inside his house and went straight for his closet. It was a few days since he last had any drug in him, and he was craving it. He pulled out the baggy and went further back and pulled out the tools he needed. He plopped onto his bed, tossed his shades to the side, grabbed the small square mirror, and rested it on his knee. He gently shook some of the white powder out onto it and grabbed the razor blade. He carefully made a few lines, each varying in thickness. He smiled as he stared at it. he loved coke. That was bad, but he didn't care. He really loved it. it made him feel great.

He reached out and grabbed his straw. He sniffed to clear his nostrils and leaned down, positioning the straw under his nostril. After plugging the other nostril, he held his breathe as he prepared to snort it up. He narrowed his eyes and watched the white disappear while he snorted the first line. He tilted his head back and pulled his cheek downwards on the side with the open nostril. He sniffed hard again to make sure everything went up like planned. He repeated the process until the rest of the lines were gone. and fell back on his bed and stared at the ceiling while it took effect.

As soon as it hit, he stood up and pushed the tools to the side. He called up the man who he was going to marry. "John, babe. You free?"

"I'm always free when it comes to you," John said. Dave could hear the smile in his voice.

"Are you free enough to come over? I miss you."

"You just saw me yesterday," John laughed.I

"so? I miss you already."

"I have to finish up some things at home, first, baby. I'll be on my way in like an hour and a half, then? Is that okay?"

"Just as long as I get you tonight," Dave smiled softly. "Plan to stay the night, yeah?"

"Okay, okay. Sounds perfect! I love you, see you soon!" John hung up and Dave scurried to put everything away. He slid the shades back on his pale face to hide how big his pupils were. He picked up a few miscellaneous things that littered his house while waiting for John to get here.

A brilliant idea of attempting to cook came to him and he quickly got to work. Dave didn't really cook, so this was completely stupid of him, but he thought John would appreciate it. He pulled out things he would need for a salad and chicken parmesan. He easily made the salad, tossing in different types of lettuce and some cheese, broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, and peppers. He put the large bowl of salad in the fridge so it wouldn't wilt while everything else was being prepared. He googled the recipe for chicken parmesan on his phone.

"Why are there so many different recipes?" he groaned out loud. "This is so dumb!" He scrolled down the google page, huffing over it. "Stupid cooks. I'll just choose this one, then!" He clicked the link to the one titled  _The Best Chicken Parmesan_

He started following what the recipe said. He preheated the oven to 350 degrees and while he waited until the oven beeped to say that it was done preheating, he got everything together to prepare the chicken. Breadcrumbs, flour, and scrambled egg yolk. He placed each ingredient in a different bowl and lined them up in the order they were needed.

Flour. Egg. Breadcrumbs.

He picked up a chicken breast and then covered the chicken in flour, doused in in the bowl of egg, and rolled it in the breadcrumbs. He placed it on a different plate and did the same to the other pieces. He figured he was making too much but he could always use the extra as leftovers for when he got hungry, if it came out okay.

Once all the chicken pieces he wanted were ready, he placed them in a pan and covered them with marinara sauce. There was no spot left uncovered. He grabbed the cheese and drowned the pan in cheese.  _You can never have too much cheese,_ he thought to himself. He took a pinch of cheese and popped it in his mouth, tossing the empty bags into the trashcan. He smiled happily and slid the pan into the oven. He set the timer for 40 minutes and cleaned up his mess. Washed the dishes, wiped the counters, cleaned up anything on the floor he dropped.

He normally wouldn't have cared, but the coke made him energetic and he just wanted to do something. Once the kitchen was clean, he exited it and went back into his bedroom. He went through his drawers and picked out a whole new outfit. In the midst of his clothing, he found a small lockbox.  _Hm, that's weird. I didn't know I owned one of these._ There wasn't a lock on it and it was empty inside. He stood up and dropped his clothes on his bed, eyes not leaving the box. The gears in his head were turning. He glanced at the hiding spot and looked back down at the box. The lightbulb in his head went off and he grabbed his happiness and shoved it in the box. He set it back in his dresser and grabbed his clothes and walked to the door. He stopped in the doorway for a moment before going back and grabbing the box again and bringing it with him to the bathroom.

He repeated his actions of earlier before he got in the shower. His head was spinning, his face numb. The water was hitting him and he felt like he was in paradise. He stayed in the shower for a while after bathing, just thinking about how he would propose.

Maybe he'd do the whole cliche, get down on one knee and confess his love and pull out the ring.

Or he could order food and have the ring arrive in an empty food container and John would open it and then Dave would confess his love.

He could also just flat out ask him while walking somewhere, but that was boring.

Maybe he could do it at the ball?

Dave nearly cheered when he thought of it. The ball. That's exactly when he was going to propose. He'd figure out some way to ask if it was okay to have a public proposal like that, he's seen enough videos of someone saying no because it was public and they were pressured. He wanted it to be perfect.

He was pulled out of his little dreamworld to the fire alarm going off. He scrambled out of the tub and accidentally pulled down the shower curtain in the process. he quickly shut off the water and pulled on a pair of boxers before running out the door. He slid across the floor because it was wet and flipped over the couch. He groaned and sat up, dazed and confused for a moment. The alarm was piercing and he jumped up and started running more carefully to the kitchen.  _Shit shit shit shitshitshitshit._ He glanced at the time, he was in the shower for well over an hour and a half. John was going to be here any minute and dinner was charred beyond the point of being edible. He pulled on a mitt and pulled it out, tossing the pan onto the counter and turning off the stove. He shut off the fire alarm and opened a window so the smoke would file out and not turn on the fire alarm again.

He silently made his way back to the bathroom and got dressed. He shoved his fun-time box under the sink and in the back back so John wouldn't accidentally find it. He walked out to come face to face with John. he didn't even hear the other boy come in. "What's that smell?" John sniffed and wrinkled his nose.

"I.... Tried to make dinner," Dave grumbled. "Showered, lost track of time, burnt it."

"Aw, babe!" John laughed. "You can't do that, you have to keep an eye on the food. C'mon, show me the remnants of your attempt."

"Don't laugh!" Dave whined. "It's in the kitchen." He took ahold of John's hand and laced their fingers together. He felt his anger at himself for ruining dinner disappear as they connected. He led the way to the kitchen and pointed to the black mess.

"So....." John said after looking at it for a moment. "What was it supposed to be? Looks tasty." He snorted and Dave hip checked him.

"You're an asshole."

"You love me."

"I really do," Dave said fondly. "It was Chicken Parmesan. That part might not be good, but I did make a salad? If you're okay with that for dinner?"

"Sure! We can bake some cookies or something at the end. Well, I can. I'm not letting you near them in case this happens again."

"I'm not gonna kiss you  _AT ALL_ tonight." Dave huffed and let go of John's hand, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Aw, Dave, c'mon, you know I was kidding," John pouted, trying to uncross Dave's arm. Dave didn't budge, but John persisted. After a few tries, Dave let his arms fall to his side and John grabbed both of his hands. "C'mon, you know you won't be able to resist kissing me, you never have been," he said in a sing-song voice.

Dave turned his head as John leaned in for a kiss. John's lips hit his cheek and Dave smiled in triumph. "Bet."

"Daveeeee," John stood on his tippy toes and started kissing all around Dave's face. "Kiss meeeee."

"Nope."

"But... I want to kiss you..."

"Shouldn't have made fun of me!" Dave laughed.

"I was teasing," John rolled his eyes. "And you know it! You're just being difficult to be difficult."

"You know me," Dave drawled, letting his southern accent come through. He turned his head so he was facing John, and John took the chance to press their lips together. Dave jerked his head back real quick. "Bleh! You're gonna give me nerd cooties!"

"Hey!" John laughed. "That's mean, I don't have cooties. Girls have cooties and I am not a girl."

"... You sure you don't have cooties then?"

"I hate you."

Dave laughed again before leaning down and connecting their lips. His eyes fluttered shut and John's hands went from in his own to around his neck. Dave set his hands lightly on John's hips and pulled him closer. Their bodies pressed together and Dave's thumb dipped under John's shirt and gently massaged circles onto the smaller boys hips. John's tongue darted between his lips and Dave opened his mouth a little wider. John backed him up so he was pinned against the counter. Dave's knees were weak. It's what kissing John did to him. Just being around John made him feel all weak.

Dave reluctantly pulled away, but stayed nose to nose. His eyes remained closed and a smile adorned his face. "God, I love you so much."

"And you know I love you. Now, let's get some salad so we can bake those cookies together, baby." Dave nodded and gently pushed John away from his body. He opened the fridge and bent down. John took one look at Dave's ass and wolf whistled. "Damn, babe." Dave was reaching for the bowl still and John's comment and whistle combo made him jerk up, causing him to bang his head on the last bit of the fridge. John was by his side in a moment. "Oh shit, I'm sorry, Dave. I didn't mean for that to happen."

"It's okay," Dave replied. He took a step away from the fridge before standing up straight. He set the table on the counter and touched the back of his head gently. He hissed out in feigned pain.

"Not it's not okay," John exclaimed. He fretted over Dave like a worried hen. "You got hurt, that's not okay."

"No," Dave laughed a little. "No, I was faking. It's all good, babe. Promise."

"Ugh, you dick," John stalked a little bit ways away. "And to think I was actually worried about you."

Dave hummed in response and pulled out two smaller bowls. He dished part of the salad into one bowl and handed it to John and after, he filled his bowl. He put the rest back in the fridge. He pulled out a bottle of Italian Dressing for John, and his own Balsamic Vinaigrette. He slid John's bottle down the counter before walking his own to the living room. He got comfy and started to munch on his salad while waiting for John to join him. After their salad was gone, Dave took their bowls and placed them in the sink. "Cookie time?"

"Yup!" John started to rummage through Dave's cupboards. He pulled out some cookie mix, a bowl, eggs, some sugar, vegetable oil, and a cookie sheet, then preheat the oven to the temperature the box of cookie mix told him to. "Pour the mix into the bowl, I'll crack the egg and do the oil."

"Probably better if I don't do any of the measuring," Dave commented, opening up the box and pulling out the bag of powder. He used his teeth to rip it open and then poured it in the bowl. He watched as John cracked the egg, poured in the correct amount oil, and threw in a couple pinches of sugar. He handed Dave a spoon so he could mix it all together. Dave gladly took the responsibility of doing so. He stirred it until it was perfect and pul pulled the spoon out. He held it up and looked John pointedly in the eyes. "I'm licking the spoon after."

"You're such a child," John shook his head with a smile. "You better share." He washed his hands before taking some of the cookie dough and rolling it into a circle. He filled the cookie sheet  and pushed it away from the edge. He took the spoon from Dave and took a lick. Dave's offended look made him laugh. "You're cute."

"Gimme back my spoon," Dave huffed. "I didn't even get the first lick!"

"Oops?" John held out the spoon and Dave snatched it haughtily from him. He licked the extra cookie dough and picked up the bowl. He ran the spoon around the bowl and ate the extra cookie dough that he gathered. Dave hopped up on the counter after and swung his legs while finishing cleaning the spoon. He set bowl the bowl and spoon in the sink and waited. The oven beeped and John put the cookie sheet in. He set the timer for 12 minutes before turning his attention on Dave.

"John," Dave smiled. He loved saying his name. Dave reached out his hands towards the shorter boy. "Come here." John complied and stepped close. Dave situated John so he was in front of him. Dave spread his legs so John could step in between them. "I love you."

"You've said that a lot today, you feeling okay?" John joked.

"I just really really love you."

"I'm not complaining, and I love you, too. A lot." John rested his hands on Dave's thighs and smiled up at the blonded. "Now, lean down so I can kiss you again." Dave did as he was told and happily kissed John back. John pulled Dave's hips forward so he was at the edge of the counter, then ran his hands back down his thighs. He bit Dave's bottom lip and pulled back with it a little before letting go. Dave pressed closer to John, the high making him even more sensitive. John kissed the side of his mouth before trailing kisses up his lawline towards his ear. Dave tilted his head to the side, exposing his bare neck. John's lips connected with his neck and Dave bit his lip. John kissed around a little before sucking right where his neck dipped right about his collarbone. Dave closed his eyes tightly, trying not to make any noise. John didn't like the fact that Dave was being so quiet so he bit down. Dave elicited a breathy moan and his hands moved to grip John's shouldered. Dave could feel John's smirk against his skin.

John pulled back to examine the mark he left. "I hope you don't have to go anywhere for a while," he commented. "If you do, you might have to wear a scarf. That's not the only one I plan on giving you tonight." Dave shivered at John's words.

"Th-That's okay," he stuttered. "Feels good, like being marked by you." He felt hazy, as if everything was under a veil. He loved it. "How much longer until the cookies are done?" John checked the clocked and held up 3 fingers. 3 more minutes. He was amazed. It felt as if moments passed, not 9 minutes. He internally shrugged. Times flies when making out was his excuse.  "3 more minutes to kiss me. So don't stop?"

John happily kissed him again. Dave couldn't get enough. He never could get enough. This boy made him go crazy. His lips were incredibly soft and Dave craved them just as much as he craved drugs, if not more. In fact, John's lips were his favourite drug. The crave he had for them could never me satisfied.

John stepped back once the oven let them know the cookies were done. Dave watched him, eyes half lidded and lips swollen from the intense kissing. "They done?" His voice was low and sulky. John knew what this voice meant and he nodded. "Now we gotta let them cool before we touch them. Let's go.. Wait in the living room, yeah?" He was back between Dave's legs. He slid Dave off the counter and kept him hoisted up. John carried him to the living room while Dave kissed everywhere he could reach on his face.  He laid Dave on his back and Dave kept his legs where they were. Dave slid his hands up John's shirt and felt the muscles ripple under his touch. He bit his lip and looked up at John.

"You're so hot when you're under me," John said huskily. Before Dave could say anything, they were kissing again. Everything was moving fast now. Dave pulled John's hair and John pushed down against Dave, making him whimper. Dave rutted up against John for some friction and John let him. Dave didn't even get a chance to question what was going on before his pants were being shoved down and so were John's. John had complete control over the situation and Dave knew it. He didn't care. He loved when John took control like this.

John pushed his hips downwards and started grinding against Dave. Each made a soft moan as the friction increased. Dave's hands were no longer in John's hair, they were under his shirt, scratching his back. "F-Fuck," John hissed out, arching his back. He pushed up Dave's shirt and kissed his chest before moving downwards. Once near his hips, John started to leave another hickey. He pinned Dave's hips down so he couldn't move. Dave still wriggled while John was marking him up, though. He couldn't help it. John sat back and smiled down at Dave. "The cookies should be done colling by now."

"Fuck you," Dave propped himself up. "Get me all hot and bothered but then stop."

"I don't wanna fuck you right now, I wanna save it for later," John rolled his eyes. "I wanna relax and be cute right now. So, let's go eat some cookies, pull on the bed on the couch so we can cuddle, and let's watch a movie or something."

"Fine," Dave sighed. He swung his legs over the edge of the couch and stood up. They made their way into the kitchen hand in hand. John used a spatula to get the cookies off the sheet and handed on to Dave. Dave took a bite and his shoulders sagged. "So.... Good." he mumbled around a mouthful of cookie. John laughed took a cookie for himself.

"It was you stirring that made it so good, baby." Dave shook his head and grabbed another cookie.

"Shut up, dummy. I'm gonna pull out the bed, bring the cookies out on a plate?" John nodded and Dave left the room. John walked out a minute later and the bed was ready. Dave tossed some pillows on it and started laying down a blanket. John sat the cookies down on the table, which was moved to the right side of the bed, before climbing in. He held out his arms and Dave happily crawled over and snuggled up to him. He laid his head on his chest and watched the TV as John flipped through the channels. John settled on something not too long after and they lapsed into silence.

An hour later, John was dozing off, but Dave had to ask something. "Babe?"

"Hm?" came John's sleepy reply.

"What do you think about public proposals? I was watching a video earlier and this guy proposed to his girlfriend in front of a crowd of people," Dave lied easily.

"I think it'd be cute." John tightened his grip on Dave. "What did the girlfriend say?"

"She said no," Dave buried his face in John's neck. "Think she felt too pressured."

"Yeah, that's a possibility." They both fell into a silence once again. This time, Dave didn't interrupt. He let John fall asleep, and not too long after, he fell asleep too.

So much for saving the sex for later, huh?


	5. Chapter Five

Dave was ambushed by Rose at approximately 12:05 Friday afternoon in his apartment complex. "Shopping. Now. Let's go."

"Yeesh," he yawned, closing the door behind her. "I just got out of bed because of your incessant knocking at the door, give me some time to actually  _wake up_ before you start shoving me out the door in my boxers."

She just smiled and plopped herself onto the couch. "Of course, dear brother." Dave rolled his eyes and stalked to his room. He isn't an early riser most days, and he hated, absolutely hated, being woken up before he was ready. He locked the door behind him and went to his dresser, shuffling through the clothing in there and pulling out a pair of black skinny jeans, a pair of briefs and socks. He threw them on the bed before reluctantly walking to his closet. He knew he already said yes to doing this a few days ago or whatever, but that was a few days ago. Not today. Today, he just wasn't feeling it. He sighed and tossed a random graphic tee onto his pile of clothing.

He took his clothes into the bathroom and shouted out to his sister. "I'm gonna shower real quick, I feel gross."

"Kay," came her response shortly after. She was busy sifting through the television channels and Dave was thankful. She wouldn't notice if he took too long, then.

He set his things on the corner of the sink and paused, looking into the mirror. He was looking a little run down. His hair wasn't a vibrant colour anymore. In fact, it seemed to be dulling. His skin, however, was still flawless, except for the dark circles under his eyes. He's been staying up late the past few nights, reading up on a man he was required to kill within the next couple of weeks.

20 year old female named Kayla who was going around and stealing business from his new client. About 5'6", blonde hair. No noticeable markings, but she wore glasses. He knew her story, her plans, and her schedule. He nearly had everything memorised. He shook his head to clear his thoughts of the girl and crouched down. He pulled out the lockbox he stashed under the sink a few days ago and smiled happily to himself. He opened it and pulled out the lockbox he stashed there a few days ago. He opened it and pulled out  little baggy of coke along with a razor blade and a straw.

He turned on the shower before continuing his recreational activities. He cut a line and snorted it before cutting a couple more and doing the same. After all the lines were gone and the baggy was empty (there wasn't that much left anyway, he had to re-up), he pulled held one nostril closed and pulled down on the other side of his face while he sniffed one last time to clear his nose. A shudder went through him and he grinned as the high hit him. He undressed and hopped in the shower.

He was out within 10 minutes and dressed within the next 2. Before he left the bathroom, he put the box back where he pulled it from. He grabbed the briefs he abandoned on the bathroom floor, carried it to his room, and tossed it into his dirty laundry basket. His hair was still wet but he didn't care. "Ready?"

"Ready!" Rose jumped up from her seat and smiled. She walked to the door and opened it, gesturing for Dave to walk out first.

"Make sure you lock your door behind you," he commented while passing her.

"Yes, sir!" she saluted and laughed softly. She locked the door as soon as she passed through the doorway. "I brought my car, so I'm driving."

"I hate being in the passenger seat," Dave complained, walking down the hallway.

"I know, I know," Rose said. "But it's my car, therefore I am driving."

"Fine," Dave huffed.

 

Once at the mall, Rose immediately pulled Dave into a shop full of dressed. "Help me find one!" she pleaded while he stared boredly at the colourful and poofy dressed that surrounded him.

"Couldn't you bring one of your girlfriends?" he whined, tugging on a frilling neon green dress distastefully.

"Of course I would, but we're twins!" she exclaimed.

"Oh, no." he deadpanned.

"Oh, yes," she smirked.

"I am  _NOT_ trying on dresses for you."

"Why?" she pouted, crossing her arms.

"For one, I'm a GUY," he reasoned. "For two,  _I'm a guy._ "

"So?" she frowned. "It's not like I have curves. I just have boobs, so what? You can easily show me what dresses would look good on me. We're nearly the same height, too! you're only a couple inches taller than me!"

"No."

"Please?"

"Rose, no."

"But..." her voice trailed off and her lip started to tremble. Dave looked away, knowing that if he looked at her too long he would give in. "You're my b-brother," she sniffed. "Can't you do this.. This one thing?"

The little stutter when she said brother made him give in entirely. "Fine. But never again."

"Yay!" she cheered, a little smirk on her face. "What colour, first off?"

"No yellows or oranges," he sighed. "I'd go with a purple, blue, or black colour. Both look really good on me, so I'm assuming they'd look nice on you."

"Okay!"

For the next 15 minutes, they hunted the store for purple and blue dresses. Rose ended up with a handful of dressed in her arms and Dave took one. He slowly walked into the dressing room, prolonging the moment when he would have to put the damn thing on. He cursed his weakness when it came to his sister.

He undressed and pulled on the silky blue dress. He stared at himself in the mirror, trying to imagine himself with longer hair and a more feminine face. He stuck out his stuck and shook his head. This dress wasn't his sister.

He pulled it off and called for the next one.

This process went on for a little while before he pulled one that he  _knew_ was the one the moment it settled on his body. Three quarters of it was purple, and the under layer was black. It was silky and felt great against his skin, so he knew that Rose would love it. It had two straps on either side of the shoulders, and a bow right below where the straps connected to the dresses. It was scrunched up a little above the hips and it frilled out. Where Rose's chest would be, it was scrunches as well, and it looked perfect. Although he didn't have the chest to show it off, it would look perfect on his sister.

"No need for anymore," he called out, smiling. "I found the one!"

"Really?!" Rose said excitedly. "I can't remember which one I gave you, come out and show me!"

Dave laughed and opened the dressing room door. He stepped out and she gasped in awe. "It's. Perfect."

"I knew it was. It's a little short on me so it'll fit you perfectly."

Soon enough, they were out of the store and Rose had her dress in her arms. "Shoes next!"

Dave groaned. "You're trying those on yourself," he joked.

Rose shrugged and smiled. "Yeah, I don't think your chicken legs would look good in heels anyway."

"I take offense to that," he laughed.

Once Rose found the shop that she wanted to buy her shoes from, Dave pulled out his phone. He messaged his dealer about needing to re-up and pocketed his phone again. "Dave!" Rose shoved a pair of shoes in his face and he startled backwards.

"What?"

"Put these on."

"What? No, fuck you."

"Aw, come on," she whined, shaking the ghastly things. "You'll look  _gorgeous_."

"Those heels are fucking hideous, Rose."

"For me?" she turned on the pouty lip and the puppy dog eyes.

"Ugh. No. Not those ones, find me a pair that won't make me want to assassinate myself."

"Love youuuu," she smiled and turned around. She grabbed a box and held it up. "I already had a pair out just for you."

"I hate you," Dave grumbled, slipping his shoes off. He sat on the floor and pulled on the heels. He looked at them in disgust before standing up. Well, attempting to. "Rose, help me stand."

Rose snorted and held out her hand. Dave graciously took it and Rose pulled him to his feet. He wobbled a little before getting used to the feeling of being even taller than he was before.

The heels weren't that bad, in Dave's opinion. They most definitely are not something his sister would wear, but they were alright. They had a 5 inch heel on them and they stopped just below his knees. They were solid black in colour, and on the back, a silky lace criss crossed all the way up and tied into a bow, finishing off the look. He struck a pose and started laughing with Rose.

"Alright, I'm done." He crouched down and fell back onto his butt and started to take the heels off. He felt his phone buzz in his pocket and he had high hopes for it to be his dealer. Rose boxed the shoes back up as Dave pulled on his own. He wiggled his phone out of his pocket and sighed in disappointment. It was just a text from John. He was happy that his hopefully soon-to-be fiance messaged him, but he always talks to him. He can talk to John whenever he wanted to, basically. He just really wanted his stupid coke. He responded to John, stood up, and brushed himself off. "You find your shoes yet?"

"I did."

"Can we go look for that ring now?" Dave was getting antsy.

"Yeah, just let me pay."

While Rose was being rang up, Dave left the store and waited outside. His palms were starting to get clammy so he wiped them on his jeans. His phone buzzed again and he eagerly pulled it out. He nearly started cheering aloud when he saw that his dealer messaged him back.

 

 **_From: Dusty  
_ ** _I got your shit, how much you need?_

 **_To: Dusty_ ** _  
i have $200 on me so however much thatll get me_

 **_From:_ ** _Dusty  
_ _Aight. Where we meeting at?_

 

They decided on a place and time, and Rose joined him outside the store. "To the jewelry shop!" she exclaimed.

"Jewelry shop!" Dave echoed, a smile plastered on his face.

 

"Nah, not that one," Dave murmured.

"Well, what are you looking for?" Rose asked, walking around the counter.

"You know... Something John-like. Simple yet breathtaking. I don't want any huge ass rock on his finger, either. Something small."

Rose hummed in response. Dave sighed to himself. "What if I never find a good enough ring?" he said. The worry was evident in his voice. "What if he _doesn't_   _like the ring?_ "

"He's gonna love it because you got it, dumbass. Quit second guessing yourself. You'll find the perfect ring, just give it time."

Dave anxiously looked at the time. He had a half hour until he was supposed to meet up with his dealer. He ran his fingers through his hair, causing some of it to stick up. He moved to the next counter. One of the store clerks followed, trying to help him find the ring.

"Is it acceptable for engagement rings to not be diamond?" Dave questioned.

"I'm assuming so," the girl said. "I mean, it's not like it's set in stone." She giggled to herself. " _Set in stone. Diamonds._ Ha, I'm funny."

Dave laughed. "Yeah, that was a good one. Can I see rings with Topaz, size 9?"

"Of course! Follow me." Dave did as he was told and Rose ended up trailing behind.

"Topaz is really pretty," she commented. Dave nodded in agreement.

The clerk pulled out a case of blue topaz rings and Dave's eyes instantly zeroed in on one in particular. "I found it."

"Which one?" both of the girls said at the same time. They shared a smile and a short laugh before turning their attention back to Dave. He reached and picked it up gingerly.

It was a simple ring. Just what he wanted. A silver band with a perfect sized stone in the middle. It had a few small diamonds on either side of the stone that got smaller as it got further from the topaz. He imagined the ring being placed onto John's fingers and got dizzy.

"Dave, it's perfect," Rose said quietly in awe. "He's gonna love it so much!"

Dave smiled happily and nodded. He handed the ring to the clerk and she brought them to the register. She rang them up and then they were on their way. He couldn't wait until John saw it.

 

"Stay here," Dave commanded. He jogged across the street to meet up with his dealer, or as he called him, Dusty.

"You got the cash?"

"You got the goods?"

"I do."

"Then I do."

Dave shook his hand and while shaking his hand, they exchanged the money and coke. He saluted and waved after pocketing it, then jogged across the street. Rose watched curiously as he came closer.

"What was that about?" she inquired.

"Nothin', just an old friend," Dave responded nonchalantly. He shoved his hands in his pockets to make sure his coke was still there.

It was.

"Okay," Rose said suspiciously. "Well, do you need a new suit?"

Without hearing what she said, he responded. "Yeah."

"Good! Let's go find you one."

Rose pulled Dave to the nearest shop and made him try on a fuck ton of different suits. Red, black, blue, green, yellow. He grimaced at all but the red and black one. "Really, Rose?  _Yellow_?"

"It was just to try it!" she protested against his dissatisfaction.

"Sure," he mumbled, walking back into the dressing room and pulling the sickening coloured clothing off of him. "I'm gonna stick with the red."

"Good choice, John likes you in red."

"I know he does," Dave said haughtily, pulling on his clothing. "He also likes me naked."

"Trust me, I know," she snorted. "Hurry up, I want food and then I'm dropping you off at home."

"Yeah, yeah." Dave mumbled. shoved his feet into his shoes and walked out, holding the red suit in his arms. 10 minutes later, the two were on their way to get food.

 

"Do you want fast food or do you want to go sit in somewhere?"

"Uh," Rose thought for a moment. "Sit in, most fast food places don't accommodate vegetarianism."

"Alright by me. The Greek place again sound good?" Rose nodded.

The two walked into the restaurant and were seated within a couple minutes of being there.

"How are you going to propose to him?"

Dave smiled, toying with the box in his pocket. He didn't want it to leave his side in case something happened to it. "I was thinking of doing it during the ball? Is tht a good idea?"

"Don't ask me, this has to be on your own. I like the idea, though. It's cute. Will he be comfortable with a public proposal like that?"

"I... Didn't think about that." Dave sighed. They were interrupted by their waiter, who dropped off two glasses of water for them.

"Hi! I'm Cara and I'll be your waitress today. Can I get you something else to drink?" Both of the blondes shook their head no. The waiter continued to eye Dave and smiled brightly. "Alright, I'll be back in a bit to take your order!" She winked at Dave as she sashayed away, making her hips move more than necessary. Rose raised an eyebrow towards Dave and he groaned.

"I hate when this happens."

"Can't help it, big brother. Our genes make us too damn attractive," she shook her head in mock dismay.

Dave grumbled and crossed his arms in a pout. "I don't care. But anyway, I have no idea if he'd like that. Should I ask? Or should I ask one of his friends? They'd know, right? They're his friends, so they should know."

"You can try that," Rose agreed. "I have one of their numbers. Her name is Vriska. Weird name, I don't think she's from around here."

"Kanaya isn't that common of a name, either," Dave laughed. He took the phone Rose slid across the table and started typing the number into his phone. "Speaking of Kanaya, did everything work out okay? You went to talk to her the last time we saw each other."

"Sorta," Rose sighed. "She's still a little upset, but she plans on coming home soon. She has to finish some things up at her parents house, but then she'll be back."

"That's great news!" Dave exclaimed. He pressed  _new message_ and started typing out the question for this mysterious friend of John's. Of course, Dave has heard of Vriska before, but he's never really met her or talked to her since she was strictly John's friend. Plus, she apparently lived several states away now.

 

 **_To: Vriska  
_ ** _hey this is dave johns boyfriend. i just have a question that i cant ask him because it deals with him._

 

He pressed send and picked up his menu. "I think I'm gonna have the same thing I did last time we were here."

Rose made a noise of agreement and the two went back to talking about the proposal.

"What if he says no?"

"Don't worry, you big dummy. He's not gonna say no."

"But what if he's not ready?"

"He is, trust me."

"But what if-"

"Dave! Enough," Rose laughed. "Here comes our waitress." Dave put his phone away and rolled his eyes.

"It could still happen, you know."

Cara stopped at their table and smiled. "Figure out what you want?"

"Fasolada Soup," Dave replied, handing her the menu. She wrote it down and looked at Rose.

"Greek Salad," she handed her menu to the waitress as well.

"Coming right up," she nodded.

"Did you notice the top button of her shirt was unbuttoned?" Rose was clearly amused over the fact the waitress was interested in Dave.

"No, because I don't stare at tits, Rose. Gay. Remember?"

"You still could have noticed," she snorted. "Not all gay guys hate boobs, you know."

Dave rolled his eyes. "Yeah yeah."

His phone buzzed again and he pulled it back out. He smiled when he saw who it was from.

 

 **_From: Vriska_ **  
_Okay, what's the question ::::)_

 **_To:_ ** _**Vriska**  
_ _do you think he would like a public proposal and dont say shit to him about this he has no idea im proposing_

 

He pocketed his phone and sighed. He sipped on his water and fell into an easy conversation with Rose about things unrelated to his proposal. Their meal arrived after a while and they ate in silence. Dave's phone buzzed in his pocket a couple times, but he ignored it. He thought it was rude to text while eating with someone. SOon enough, Cara took their empty plates away and returned with the bill. She placed it in front of Dave and slid a napkin with writing on it over to him.

 _xxx-xxx-xxxx  
_ _call me sometime cutie ;)_

 

He looked up at her and deadpanned. "Gay."

"Excuse me?" She tilted her head, confused.

"Gay. Gay. I am Gay. G-A-Y. Gaygaygaygay. Gay. So, you can take this back," Dave slid the number back to her and smiled.

Her face was as red as a tomato when she took the paper back. She apologised quickly before scurrying off. Rose held in her laughter until she wasn't near them.

"God, Dave," she laughed. "You really know how to let girls down easy!"

"Shut it," he grumbled. A different waiter returned the card Dave placed inside the bill holder, and Dave put that back in his wallet. "Let's go, I don't wanna stick around because that made me feel weird." He shoved on his coat and held out his hand for her keys. "And I want to drive." He pulled out his phone while waiting for Rose to finish getting ready to leave and checked his messages.

 

_**From: Vriska**  
Im sure he would like that, tbh!!!!!!!! It sounds really cute and this is John after all he likes big and flashy_

 

He didn't bother responding and pocketed his phone once more. Rose tossed him the keys and he pocketed them. He stepped back to let Rose out of the booth and the two walked out of the restaurant. He pulled the keys out of his pocket, and his baggy of coke fell out with i without him noticing. Rose, however, did notice. She stopped following him and bent over to pick it up. After straightening herself up, she frowned. 

"Dave, what's this?"

"What's what?" he replied, unlocking her car door without turning around to see what she was holding.

"This baggy that fell from your pocket." Her tone was curt and demanding.

Dave slowly turned to face his sister. "I uh... I don't know?"

"Don't give me that bullshit, David Strider. Is this what I think it is?"

"Depends, what do you think it is?"

"I am indescribably upset with you right now. Are you seriously hooked on cocaine?"

"I'm not hooked!" Dave defended. "I'm not an addict."

"Really, Dave? Is that your argument here? You're not an  _addict_?" He tone was incredulous.

"No, Rose, that's not what-"

"Get in the car and take me home." Dave could practically see the steam rolling out of her ears.

"You're not gonna take back your keys?" he said warily.

"No, I am far too infuriated with you right now." Rose stomped to her side of the car and got in.

"Right," Dave murmured, mostly to himself. He got in the car and started driving. It was excruciatingly quiet for the first 5 minutes of the car ride, but it was just the calm before the storm.

"Drugs? Really? Is that what you've turned to?"

"I'm sorry?"

"I can't fucking  _believe_ you would do this. Especially this! I would have been fine if it was marijuana or something, but hard fucking drugs like coke? What else are you doing?"

"Nothing," he said quickly.

"Don't lie to me."

"Nothing," he repeated, keeping his eyes trained on the road. His hands gripped the steering wheel a little too hard and Rose definitely noticed.

"You'relying. You're tense. Now tell me what else you're doing."

"Fine," he groaned. "Pills. I've been doing pills. That and cocaine, I swear it's it."

"I'm putting you into rehab," Rose muttered.

"Don't you dare put me in rehab. I can quit whenever I like."

"That's what every drug addict says!" she shouted. "But they never do!"

"I'm not a drug addict."

"Prove it to me. You're quitting,  _right now_."

"Right now?" Dave whined a little before clearing his voice. "I mean, yeah. Fine. I can do that. No problem."

"Good," Rose pocketed the coke and stayed silent for the rest of the ride. Dave stopped at his apartment and got out. Rose got into the driver's seat and drove away after telling Dave she was 'flushing the damn drug down the toilet where it belongs'. Dave watched her leave and took several minutes after she disappeared from his sight to actually enter the apartment complex.

 

The following Friday, Dave found himself arriving to the ball with John's hand in his. Rose and Kanaya joined his side and all four of them entered the dinner hall together. Inside the room was large. There were at least a couple hundred people already there and seated. They too their seats the reserved a few days before and waited until the boss spoke.

"Welcome! Tonight is the celebration of Varona being around for 15 years. We have dinner ready to serve, and after the ballroom will be open. Please, enjoy yourself." He sat back down and the doors to the kitchen swung open. Waiters and waitresses flooded the room and started setting plates full of food in front of the guests. Dave immediately started digging in once the last plate was set down, as did most of the others. The entire room was filled with the sound of china clattering together and small talk. Dave reached down into his pocket and played with the box that the ring was in. He was super nervous about tonight, and he was afraid John could tell.

He responded when prompted, laughed when appropriate, and smiled and necessary; his mind was entirely elsewhere, though. He didn't know how he wanted to propose. Did he want someone to grab John's attention for a moment while he got down on one knee behind him? What would he say? 'Marry me?' was too short. He wasn't the sentimental type unless he was alone. He pushed his plate away and sighed softly. John glanced at him and frowned. John pat Dave's arm to get his attention.

"Everything okay?"

"Of course," Dave nodded. He leaned over and pecked John's cheek. "I love you."

"I love you, too," John smiled. He returned to finishing off his plate while Dave went back to the situation he was dealing with. He didn't get much further before John was pulling on his sleeve. "Let's go dancing."

"Alright," Dave pushed his chair back and stood up. The two girls had already left, without disrupting Dave's thoughts. Dave pushed his chair in and followed John into the ballroom. The music was blasting and it wasn't any kind of formal music. It was music that a club would play. Dave nearly snorted at how unappropriate the song choices were compared to how everyone was dressed.

John dragged Dave to Rose and Kanaya, who stood on the outskirts of the crowd. He then persuaded Kanaya to drag Rose, while he dragged Dave, to the middle of the dance floor. From there, they let loose.

Dave was a pretty good dancer when it came to EDM type of music, but to the things that were playing then, he just bounced along to the beat. John was having a lot of fun, bouncing up and down and singing along to the lyrics. Dave smiled fondly as he watched the boy. Several songs pass before one Dave could dance to turned on. As soon as it started, Dave started moving with the music. His moved flowed into one another. John and the girls stepped back and a circle began to form around Dave. He moved his body in a way that with every beat, a different part of him moved. It didn't look awkward, but perfectly put together. Dave knew he was good and showed off, a lot. He threw his jacket to John, who caught it and laughed.

As the song slowed down, Dave slowed with it. Soon enough, he was do a slow motion robot dance. Once the bass dropped, Dave was back to tugging his arms and moving his body so his dance was seamless. The song ended and Dave stopped, breathless. The crowd around him cheered and John ran up to him, smiling like he won an award or something.

"You did so good!" John gushed as the empty space around them disappeared. "I forgot you could dance like that! You don't dance like it often."

"I was alright," Dave said sheepishly, flicking his hair out of his face.

"More than alright," Rose commented, shaking her head.

"Definitely one of the best I've seen," Kanaya piped up from behind Rose. Dave excused himself from John's presence and pulled Rose to the side.

"I think I'm gonna do it," he murmured. "Distract him for a moment so I can do the whole get-down-on-one-knee thing, yea?"

"Of course. I'm gonna have Kanaya distract him, I want a picture of this. I'll give you a nod when we're all ready, okay?"

Dave nodded and found his way back to his boyfriend, soon to be fiance, who was dancing once again in the middle of the room. Dave watched as Rose quietly moved the large group of people behind John back a good enough distance so she could get the perfect picture. She then disappeared into the crowd and Dave lost track of her. He noticed Kanaya moving towards the front of John and his hands started to become damp. He tugged at the collar of his shirt, trying to cool himself off. He wiped his hands on his pants as Rose smugly entered the scene again. He gave a nod in Dave's direction. Dave watched Kanaya strike up a conversation with John and he dropped to one knee, pulling out the ring and opening the box. The music suddenly shut off and the spotlight was on Dave and John.

John blinked up at the lights confusedly. "Kan, why'd the lights go off?"

Quiet laughter spread throughout the room.

"Why are they laughing?" John was even more confused.

Dave stifled a laugh himself and Kanaya rolled her eyes. "Turn around, John. You'll see why," she directed.

John did as he was told and the moment his eyes landed on Dave, his hands flew to cover his mouth. Dave heard the _click_ of a picture being taken.

"John," Dave began. "I'm really fuckin nervous about this right now. Okay, anyway. It's been like 6 and a half years now since you asked me out in the nerdiest way possible. You knew I loved Pokemon, so you made me your very own Pokemon card, with the 'My Kadabra just used Future Sight, and it looks like we've got a future together. Will you be mine?' Of course I said yes. It didn't take me long to fall for you, and I fell  _hard_. 6 and a half years later, and every day I fall in love with you even more. I didn't even know that it was possible to love someone this much."

John's eyes were welling up with tears, and he was nodding with every sentence that Dave uttered. Rose stood near them, camera at the ready.

"I know you're the one for me, and I can only hope to be the one for someone as talented, intelligent, sweet, and handsome as you. So, I have one question for you."

"And what.." John cleared his throat. "And what would that be?"

"StarMiE and StarYU belong together. Will you marry me?"

_Click._

John started nodded quickly, the tears spilling down his cheeks. "Of course I will!"

The crowd started cheering. The boys ignored the boo's that came along with the cheers. Instead, Dave slid on the engagement ring ( _click.),_ stood up and hugged his boyfriend- no,  _fiance_ \- close to him. Another  _click_ sounded and as the two met for a sweet kiss, another was heard. Dave pulled away and laced his hands with John's, foreheads touching.

"Wanna get out of here?" he said softly. John nodded still wiping away tears. Dave flagged Rose down and told her that they were leaving.

"Have fun, you two!" she smirked. Dave rolled his eyes and led his boy out of the ballroom, through the dining hall, and to the outside.

The two boys started walking down the street. Dave was ecstatic. He said yes.  _He said yes._

"Dave?"

"Hm?" Dave glanced at John.

"I love you."

"That's why you're marrying me," Dave rolled his eyes.

"I'm serious!"

"I know you are," he smiled. "Never forget that I love you, too."

"Forever and ever?"

"Forever and ever,  _mi amour._ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is is the kind of dancing Dave did in this chapter. I didn't really explain it well, but I tried!  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaKYaKgGJ8c


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know nay French whatsoever besides small terms and one odd sentence. Since I don't know the language, I'm not gonna try.  
> I'm gonna have everything in English but just pretend it's in French haha

"That's not fair!" John pouted, crossing his arms over his chest. Dave laughed and bumped shoulders with his fiance.

"I asked you, that means I have a best man."

"Can't we both have a best man?"

"We could, I suppose. I mean, this isn't a traditional wedding in the slightest, with the whole two guys getting married thing."

"I don't really have many guys friends," John closed his eyes in thought. "Wait, can I have a best woman?"

"Wouldn't that be a maid-of-honour?" Dave teased, poking John's cheeks.

"You're so mean," he whined, shoving Dave's hand away.

"Yeah, have a best woman. Who's it gonna be?"

"Vriska," John said immediately.

"Have I met her? I can't remember."

"No, but you will! Soon, because I want you guys to be friends before the wedding."

"We will be. I actually already have her number?"

"What? Why?"

"Rose gave it to me so I could ask her something," Dave explained, yawning. "C'mon, it's getting late. Wanna watch a movie and figure out the rest in the morning?"

"Sounds perfect," John flashed Dave a buck tooth smile that he knew he would always love.

 

A couple months pass with both boys vigorously planning. John moved in completely within those few months. Before Dave proposed, he had clothes and items littering the house. Now, his clothes occupied half of the closet and dresser. Dave had to move lockbox of goods to a new place, also known as his bedside table. Dave sauntered out of his room after popping a few things of oxy.

"Start writing the invites for me," John told Dave. "I need to call up a Florist and talk to them about the arrangements for the wedding." John's face lit up in a smile when he uttered the word _wedding_. "Ugh, I still get so happy whenever I just  _think_ about the fact that we're going to be  _married._  In less than a year. Holy shit."

He slid into the seat next to Dave and pulled out his phone. Dave kissed his cheek before grabbing the supplies he would need to write the invites. He sat back down and began writing as John rambled to the florist. Dave didn't have to do much writing, in all honesty. The cards were already made; all he had to do was write down the time it started and then sign his name. He made a pile of letters he signed next to John so he could sign them after he got off the phone.

John pocketed his phone after a half hour of talking. He started signing the cards but soon stopped. "I'm hungry."

"Order out, go out, or me make something?"

"Order in. Can we get Chinese? I'm craving Chinese."

"Of course." Dave called in for the Chinese and John continued to sign the letters while Dave put them in envelopes. They had a good system going and were finished within the 38 minutes it took for the Chinese to arrive. Dave realised how hungry he was as the scent of eggrolls wafted up into his nose. He payed the delivery boy and began to dig in the moment his ass hit the couch cushion. John was clearly feeling the same way, shoveling the noodles into his mouth with the chopsticks.

Dave leaned back and pat his full stomach, making a groaning noise of appreciation. "That was so good," he commented, snuggling up to Johnś side. John gazed at him fondly and nodded, licking his fingers clean of eggroll.

"It really was."

Dave stayed quiet for a while before letting the bomb drop. "I have to go to work soon, for a while."

John frowned. "How long?"

"Few weeks. Month, maybe." Dave sighed, sounding defeated. He didn't want to leave John, especially for that long. Not to mention, they still had a ton of planning to do and he couldn't leave his dearly beloved with all of that.

"But that's... so long..." John replied quietly, pulling Dave's body closer to his.

"I know baby, I know, but I have to. I wish I didn't," he murmured, pecking John's cheek in attempt to soothe the disappointed boy.

 

Dave gave John one last kiss and hug before he left the room. He sighed as he dragged his suitcase behind him. This time, he was flying all the way to Paris. He silently wished that he could bring John with him. Paris is, after all, the City of Love. He got in his car and began the process of leaving. He was going to be gone for at least a month, or so his boss said. He reached Varona and traded his car for one of theirs. He slid into the back seat and the driver drove him to the airport. He spent the entire plane ride planning out the wedding.

When he arrived in Paris, it was dusk. He quickly found his way into the hotel and was handed a key. He used the elevator and waited tiredly for the doors to open on his floor. He rubbed his eyes tiredly and let out a sigh of relief when the elevator dinged. He stepped out and walked down a few doors, counting the door numbers.

"483... 484.... Ah!," he mumbled, sliding the key card out of his pocket. "485." The door unlocked with a  _click_ and he rolled the suitcase inside. He closed the door behind him and slid his shoes off. He didn't bother looking around, nor did he bother unpacking. He immediately went to his bed and fell onto it. He looked at his phone and smiled when he saw he had a text from John. He read the messaged and pressed the call button. He rolled onto his back as the phone rang. John answered within the first few rings.

"I miss you," were the first words out of Dave's mouth.

"I miss you, too, babe," Dave could hear the smile in his voice

"It hasn't even been a day," Dave moaned. "How am I gonna survive a  _MONTH?_ "

John merely laughed. "You can do it, Dave. You've gone longer without seeing me before. Besides, there's skype and phone calls."

"Skype me? Now?"

"Yeah, lemme get my computer on and stuff. You're cute."

Dave grunted in disagreement. "Don't call me cute. I'm a fierce beast."

"Sure, Dave. Whatever you say," John laughed. "Okay, my computer is on. Get on skype, loser."

"Yes sir." Dave hung up the call and opened the skype app. As soon as it showed he was online, he had a call come through. He accepted and his lover face filled the tiny screen.

"Dave," he giggled. "It's too dark, I can't see your face."

"Don't need to," he responded. "I can see you, that's all I care about."

"Aw, c'mon. Lemme see that cute freckled face of yours."

"Ugh, fine." Dave rolled out of bed, phone still in hand, and flicked on the lights. It took a second for his face to focus, but John's happiness was evident.

"Ah, there he is in all his tired beauty," he teased.

"Shut up," Dave grumbled, throwing himself back onto the bed. "Jet lag is a bitch."

The two boys ended up talking for another hour or so before Dave got too tired to pay attention.

"Dave," John called softly. "Daveeeee."

Dave lifted his head, eyes unfocused. "I'm up I swear," He let out a big yawn before plopping his head back down.

"You should go to sleep, baby."

Dave whined into the comforter. "Fall asleep on Skype with me for tonight?"

"I'll fall asleep on Skype with you any night," John declared. Dave heard his shuffle around on his bed, trying to get comfy. Dave propped his phone up and plugged it in so it was charged for the morning. He wiggled a little to find a more comfortable position and used one of the multiple pillows on his bed as a makeshift John.

"I love you," he said, sleepiness laced in his words.

"And I love you," John replied, closing his eyes.

Dave was out within the next 5 minutes and John spent a little longer admiring the man who he was going to spend the rest of his life with before falling asleep as well.

 

Days pass and Dave still hasn't been able to locate his target. He's been studying the man ever since he left the states. He was beginning to get frustrated. If he couldn't find the man soon, the trip would be even longer. He had to basically stalk to guy until he knew his schedule and as much about him as he could possible gather.

He sat in a cafe that his target was apparently known to visit frequently. He didn't want to call him by his name, it made everything feel too personal. He needed to keep his distance or it would fuck him up.

Dave sipped his cup of cocoa and messed around on his phone while waiting. He's already gone through 2 cups, and he was on his third. He also had a couple croissants already too.  _This job is gonna make me fat,_ he complained. He finished playing the game he was immersed in and took to texting his love instead. Another 20 minutes past on non-stop texting before the cafe door opened. Dave's head shot up to see who was walking in and he had to hide his grin by taking another sip of his now lukewarm cocoa.

His target had arrived.

From the minute Dave set eyes on him, Dave was alert. He stealthily followed him. He kept far enough distance so his target couldn't tell, but was close enough to not miss anything. Not that it would matter, considering his eyesight. Dave's phone was turned off and shoved into his back pocket, his blonde locks hidden in a black beanie, and his hands were shoved into his pockets. His shades were in their usual space, hiding his red irises from the world.

For the next several hours, he trailed his target. No matter where he went, Dave was there. Watching, planning, noting. 8 o'clock rolled around and his target stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. Dave stopped about 20 feet back from him, wary.

"Who the fuck are you and why have you been following me?"

Dave cursed silently and didn't respond. The guy was a lot more perceptive than he thought he would be.

The guy didn't like the fact that Dave didn't answer. He turned around and froze. No one was there.

Dave's heart was pounding and his breathing was heavy. He leaned against the wall and tried to catch his breath.  _That was too close,_ he thought. He nearly blew his cover. He had to be more careful. He was a few blocks away, having used some skills he gathered in his training days to scale nearby walls and disappear from view. He straightened up and walked out, pulling off his beanie. He sighed. Back to square one.

 

He spent the next few weeks gathering all the information he needed. He was severely disappointed that it was taking longer than a month to complete this mission. John didn't know what he was doing, either. Dave was almost considering quitting once he was married, but he knew he would miss it. The thrill of it. The adrenaline pumping through his veins as he stalked his prey. The satisfactory feeling of finishing them off. The last part kind of worried him though. He shouldn't feel pleasure in this. He didn't in the beginning, but ever since killing off the guy who almost raped his assistant, his satisfaction at a kill has grown.

"When are you coming home?" John pouted, crossing his arms. Dave smiled at his boy.

"Soon, babe. One more week and I'll be home."

"What are you even doing? You tell me it's business stuff, but like.. What exactly?"

Dave knew he was going to ask this question eventually. "I find guys who've wronged my company," he answered immediately.  _Maybe a little more than just find._

"Really? Is this one taking forever to find?"

Dave nodded, shoveling the last forkful of food into his hungry mouth. "Yeah, really difficult. It's starting to piss me off, actually. I'm close, I know it." He set his plate to the side and gave his full attention to John. "Anyway, how are you? How's things been without me there?"

"Hectic," was his answer. "Rose has been helping me plan things out. Apparently bridesmaids are going to wear lavender dresses, you're going to be in a red and black suit because 'it compliments your skin tone and makes your freckles pop', or so Rose says. I mean, I agree with her, but still. And I have to wear a plain black suit with a blue tie? I guess? Something like that. Oh, and Rose is going to make everything, she's already started sizing everyone."

"Who's the bridesmaids going to be?"

"Vriska is the maid of honour, so she's gonna have a darker purple dress. Maid of honours is gonna be Rose, Kanaya, Terezi, and my cousin Jade."

"That takes away most of our guest list," Dave joked. It wasn't too far from the truth though. He had some coworkers coming and some other friends he didn't really talk to anymore, but still wanted them to be there. John had his family flying in and a few of his coworkers from the bookstore he managed coming.

"Who's gonna be the best man?"

"Karkat," Dave replied, thinking of how funny it would be to see the little ball of anger all dressed up and having to act nicely.

"He's one of your friends from high school, right?"

Dave nodded. "He was my best friend. We lost touch after we graduated though, he moved to the other side of the country."

"I'm happy he's coming! I want to meet everyone that you care about. Considering you don't really care for many people."

Dave laughed a little. John wasn't wrong. It was a defense mechanism he developed with the trade he was in. Just in case became a target or they found out what kind of monster he was. "Yeah, I know. There's only a handful and they're coming to the wedding. You'll meet them then! But it's getting late here," he glanced at the time, "it's nearly midnight. I'll message you when I wake up, okay?"

"Okay," John's sighed, voice laced with disappointment. "Sleep well, my love. Don't hesitate to call if you get lonely."

"Don't worry," Dave smiled. "I'll call if I need you," he promised. Dave hung up the phone and threw himself into his work. He knew the guy's schedule. He broke into his target's house a week before and managed to find his schedule for the next month. He had a meeting in a few days and Dave was preparing for it. Dave talked to a few of his assistances, saying he was new and asked what to expect from him. He normally stayed late after meetings, writing up how it went and what to expect, etc. He went out to dinner after that, then retired to his home for the night. Dave planned on waiting for him to arrive home after dinner. He was going to try to not lose control like he did before, but he didn't exactly want to.

Dave put the papers away and went to bed, ready to relax for the next few days. He fell asleep not long after his head hit the pillow, dead tired after all the work he's put into this hit.

 

Dave was strapped down with his guns and knives. He opted out of the poison shots this time. He was waiting in the bedroom for his target to get home. He heard a car pull up and he grinned.  _Show time._

The front door opened and the heavy footsteps of the man echoed throughout the lonely house. Dave deducted that the target lived alone. He didn't wear a wedding ring at all, his office was bare of any pictures of family, and he broke in a few times to gather a feel of the house and find the perfect place for him to wait. Sadly, there wasn't a good spot to hide, so he opted for the position he was in now, leaning against the wall, one leg propped up and arms crossed over his chest, where he would be concealed when the door opened.

Speaking of which, he could hear his target coming closer. He watched the handle turn and stayed silent as the door fully opened. The man walked inside and sighed, oblivious to the blonde stranger just feet away from him. He walked over to the dresser and Dave took this opportunity to slam the door shut and have a gun pointed at the man.

"What the-" the man exclaimed.

"Oh behalf of Varona, say your goodbyes."

"What's going on?!"

"You, sir, are about to be assassinated. That's what's going on."

"I'm calling the police!" he shouted, pulling out his cell phone.

Dave cocked his head. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

The man scrambled to call 911, but Dave shot him in the hand before he could, the sound of the gun quiet because of the silencer. His target's piercing scream rang throughout the house as the bullet went through his hand, destroying his phone in the process.

"I told you not to do that," Dave sighed. "You're just gonna cause yourself more pain."

"W-Who are you?!"

"Name's Spencer. Not that it matters," he smiled sweetly. "I'm happy to be the last thing you'll ever see in the world." As he uttered the last word, he took another shot, right in the man's forehead. The man fell back from the force of the bullet and convulsed a few times before becoming still. Dave stepped over to him, careful not to step in the blood that was pooling out of the mans head. He looked at the dull eyes of the deceased and frowned. "That wasn't any fun." He sighed and slid his gun back into place.

 

The next several months fly by. Both Dave and John were up to their heads with planning their wedding, even with the help of Rose and Kanaya. The date they chose kept getting closer and closer, and Dave was getting more nervous each passing day.

"Are we going to have the bachelor party people usually do?" John asked a couple weeks before the wedding. Dave thought about it for a minute before giving a response.

"Yeah," Dave replied from in the bathroom, where he was cutting several lines for himself. The door was locked and John thought he was going to shower. He was going to shower, but not before he got high out of his mind. He's been way too stressed lately, and this was how he was handling it.

The lines weren't clean, in fact it was kind of like a 4 year old tried to make them. He took his straw, plugged one side of his nose, and breathed in the coke. He tilted his head back as the rush went through him. He grinned, feeling the high already settle throughout his body. He leaned down and did the next time, doing the same thing. He finished off the next couple lines then held down on of his face and breathed in hard while still holding the nostril, making sure he got every last bit of the pretty White Lady in his system.

He flushed the toilet to make it seem as if he had to use the bathroom before he hopped in the shower. As the noise of the toilet blocked out other noise, he carefully put away his goodies and blade under the sink for him to retrieve after his shower. He glanced at himself in the mirror. Eyes glassy and pupils blown out of proportion, cheeks rosy. He was glad that his shades would hide his eyes. Even though he didn't have to wear them around John, John knew Dave was more comfortable with the shades in their usual place. He turned on the water for the shower and disappeared behind the curtain.

 


	7. Chapter Seven

"C'mon, fucknuts," Karkat yawned. "We gotta go."

"I'm not ready to leave yet," Dave whined. He latched onto his lover and refused to let go. "Not yetttttttt......"

"Dave," Rose laughed. "C'mon, we have to go. Your party is waiting."

Dave sighed. He released John and stepped back, avoiding the couple of boxes that still littered the ground from when John moved in about a week ago. He nudged them to the side and turned to face the two who were escorting him to his party. He didn't know what as going to happen, seeing as they planned it between the two of them as soon as Karkat and Rose met each other. Dave was kept out of the loop so he was worried about what was going to happen. Worried because Karkat helped planned it, but also completely ready to have fun because Dave knew Rose wouldn't let it get too out of hand.

"Go on," John smiled, and gently pushed Dave towards the door. "You'll see me tomorrow and then we'll be married. Go, have fun."

"Fine, but first," Dave spun around and planted a kiss on John, "A goodbye kiss."

Dave was yanked back by Karkat and pulled out the door. "I love you," he shouted through his laughter.

"I love you, too!" John called after him. Rose smiled at John and gave a small nod. It was her way of saying have a good time tonight and she'll see him later. The blonde walked out and closed the door behind her.

Dave was wrestling with Karkat on the floor, and Karkat was spewing out insults.

"You piece of god damn blonde ass shit," he grumbled, pinned under the husband-to-be.

"Dave, leave the poor guy alone," Rose reprimanded. Dave grinned from where he was sitting on Karkat and stood up. He offered his hand for Karkat and Karkat took it. After he pulled Karkat to his feet, the three of them left the apartment complex and began their route to the party.

 

"So, where are we going?" Dave asked. "I mean, it's not like I can see anything since you guys decided to blindfold me the minute I got into this dumb car, so. Where are we going?"

"You'll see, now stop asking," Karkat groaned. "That's the fifth time this hour."

"If you told me, I wouldn't be asking."

"Dave," Rose sighed dramatically. "I cannot handle the constant questioning. Besides, you're angering the little guy."

"Oh, fuck you Lalonde," Karkat spat. "I'm short but I can still kick you ass."

Dave snorted. "Yeah, sure. You have fun with that. She's close to being able to kick  _my_ ass, and that's a feat no one else has gotten close to."

Karkat glanced behind him then at Rose. "Can we gag him, too?"

"No, that'd look bad. Like we kidnapped him."

"Yeah, kidnapping me for my own bachelor party," Dave piped in.

"Shut it, Blondie. I have an idea, let's play the quiet game."

"Or nah," Dave sat on the edge of the backseat, and poked his head between the two seats up front. "If you give me my headphones and phone, I'll listen to music and stay out of your head."

"No, you're gonna text John."

"Will not," Dave pouted, even though he totally was. "I just want to listen to music. And if you don't let me listen to music, I'm going to annoy you the rest of the ride, which is...?" He turned his head towards Rose for confirmation."

"Another 2 hours."

Karkat reached into his pocket and handed Dave his phone and headphones. "No way in hell am I letting you bother me for another 2 hours. Here, enjoy it and if you text John, my foot is going to go so far up your ass it's going to come out of your nose."

"Fine. Can I take off my blindfold yet? It's kinda kinky and I only do kinky shit with my man. Which, by the way, neither of you are."

"Yeah, fine, take that off too you dick," Karkat sighed. "Just try not to look anywhere until we're there and once we get there it has to go back on, got it?"

"Yeah, yeah," Dave mumbled, already working on untying the blindfold. He got it off and laid down in the backseat. He plugged in his headphones and turned on his music and got lost in it. He ended up dozing off at some point.

 

Dave heard a muffled "Wake up" and he slowly opened his eyes. He sat up and yawned. "Damn, didn't mean to fall asleep."

"That's fine, but blindfold back on, brother," Rose smiled sweetly, holding up the black cloth.

"And give me your phone," Karkat piped up from the driver's seat.

"Weren't you in the passenger seat?"

"We switched it up about an hour back," Rose explained. She took off his shades and placed the cloth over his eyes. "Let me know if I tie it too tight, okay?"

Dave hummed in response. He was excited to see where they were going and what the night would bring.

The three friends exited the car and Rose took Dave's wrist. "I'm gonna lead you there. It's a little bit of a walk, that okay?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever. I don't care. Is there gonna be alcohol there?"

"Of fucking course, you dumbass. Why wouldn't there be any god damn alcohol at a bachelor party?" Karkat rolled his eyes. "Don't be stupid."

"Good, I'm gonna get fucking WASTED!" Dave raised his voice for the last part, a huge smile on his face.

"I'm gonna have to hand our jackets and other things to someone at the door, because I plan on getting highly intoxicated with you."

"Count me in," Karkat grinned.

A minute of silence passes while they walk. Dave focused on putting one foot in front of the other. With the blindfold on, his other senses were heightened. He could here fint music bumping and felt the excitement course through his veins. His heartbeat picked up in anticipation, and Rose felt it. She smiled a little to herself. She wished John could have been there, but it would have defeated the entire purpose of the Bachelor Party. Rose stopped, which in turn caused Dave to run right into her back.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, laughing softly. "We're here, but there's a step so be careful."

Dave stepped forward and tapped his foot around until he found the step. Once up, he was led into a room which was very bright. Even Dave could tell through the black blind fold that the lights were flashing brightly. "When can I take this god forsaken cloth off?"

"Riiiiiiiiight......" Rose dragged the word out and made him walk a couple more steps into the room before going behind him to untie the cloth. "Now." The cloth fell to the floor and Dave was blinded by the lights. He shrank back and held one hand out for his shades, the other covering his sensitive eyes. Rose handed them to the blonde and he slid them on his face with ease. He let out a sigh of relief as the harsh lights were dimmed.

"Alright, I'm ready to party."

"Fuck yeah!" Karkat grabbed Dave's wrist and brought him to the bar. "I would like a Bloody Mary for this guy," he shoved his thumb towards Dave. "And one Long Island Ice Tea for me."

"Got it," the bartender said. He started fixing their drinks and soon enough, their glasses were in front of them, ready to be emptied. The boys chugged the drinks and then Karkat pulled Dave onto the dance floor.

"Let's dance!" he had to shout to be heard over the music.

"Hell yeah!" Dave exclaimed. Though the club wasn't booked for his bachelor party, there were quite a few people that were there for him. They all noticed Dave coming onto the dance floor and surrounded him. 

Dave jumped to the music, a big smile evident on his face.

"Loving it?" Rose called from a couple people away. Dave cupped his ear to say he didn't hear her and she needs to speak louder, so Rose decided to shimmy her way in between people and get closer. "Loving it?" she repeated herself.

"I'm loving it as much as a camel loves water after a long ass trip in the dry ass desert, Rose."

"Good!" she laughed. "See the DJ? I have an idea."

Karkat overheard and instantly wanted to be a part of it. "What about the DJ?"

"I think Dave should go up and DJ a bit!"

"Hell no," Dave interjected. "Fuck that. I am not getting my pale ass up on that stage in front of everyone and doing that."

"Oh, yes you fucking are," Karkat smirked. He grabbed ahold of Dave's wrist and pulled him through the crowd of people until they reached the stairs of the stage. "Go," he commanded with a little push.

Dave stumbled up a step before straightening himself out. He flipped off Karkat with an eye roll and Karkat laughed. "Fuck you, bro."

"Love you too, boo." he snickered. He turned away and disappeared back into the crowd, presumably to go back to Rose.

Dave cleared his throat before stepping towards to DJ. He tapped the DJ's shoulder and he lowered his headphones, raising an eyebrow at the blonde.

"Can I help you?"

Dave leaned in and started talking lowly to him. He mentioned it was his bachelor party and he was a DJ, just not a professional one. "My friends are making me ask, but do you think I could take over for a bit?"

"You're just in luck. I was just about to go on my break. You can take over when I do. What's your name?"

"The name I go by when I DJ or my actual name?"

"Either works."

"Alright, I go by Turntech." Dave's safety came first, he didn't want anyone to recognise him and connect him to Varona or something.

The DJ spoke into the mic, "Listen up, pals. So, we have a new guest here. Here's Turntech and he's going to be taking the controls for now. Now, I haven't heard his music, but he looks like a guy who could spit out something pretty good on the fly." He lifted his headphones off his shoulders and handed them to Dave, giving him a thumbs up before walking away.

Dave situated the headphones on comfortably and reveled in the familiar feeling. He let his hands hover above the knobs, feeling the music and quickly putting together the sound he wanted to go for. He looked into the crowd and caught eyes with Rose. She smiled and held up one finger, then two, then three. Dave's eyes lit up and he knew exactly what she wanted.

His fingers flew as he started to play the song he made years ago. It was an upbeat song and the crowd loved it. Dave got lost in the music and didn't realise the time flew by until the DJ tapped his shoulder. He smiled sheepishly and let his song end before handing over the headphones.

"Thank you."

"No problem!" The DJ smiled. "Hope your wedding is great, bro."

Dave merely nodded in response and walked back down the steps. This was a beginning to a very good night.

 

John eyes flickered to his bedroom door. He heard a creaking noise but he figured that it was just the apartment complex settling. It was well after midnight by this point, and he was sitting up in bed with the lamp on, book in hand. John pushed his glasses up back to the bridge of his nose and flipped a page. He read a few paragraphs before pausing again and looking towards the door. The noise he had just heard was definitely not from the apartment and it sounded like it was coming from inside the apartment.

John pushed the covers off his legs and stood up. He stretched his arms a little before stepping quietly over to the dresser to grab the gun that he knew Dave had hidden in one of his drawers. Dave thought John didn't know anything about what he did, but he was wrong. John did know and he loved him anyway. It was just a job to him, not unlike his own. In fact they were very much similar. Not that Dave knew anything about that.

Once the gun was securely in his hands, he crept to the door and slowly opened it. He let his eyes adjust to the darkness before moving from the door frame. His gun was raised and his finger was on the trigger, ready to shoot if need be. He slowly but surely moved across the floor to the bathroom. He pushed open the bathroom door and immediately stepped in, gun at the ready.

Nothing.

He left the bathroom and checked every space in the living room. Still nothing, so he checked the last room, the kitchen.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary at all in the house. He was sure that the noise he heard came from inside the apartment, and it was just him and there so he had to be sure. He lowered the gun to his side and turned around. As soon as he did, he noticed a darker blur coming towards his head. He ducked quickly and avoided being hit in the head by a person who was standing right behind him, but he dropped the gun in the process, the surprise causing him to release his hold on it completely. He quickly noticed that the person wasn't alone, either. There were two other figures standing behind him. The three of them were in a triangle-like formation. He quickly measured his chances.

He could have easily taken one of them on, but all three? No way. He had a gun, but he knew without a doubt that they were loaded with guns at the ready. They looked too professional to not be. He could either fight and barely get away with his life or willingly go with him. Even if he willingly went, there was a chance that they would still beat the everliving shit out of him.

He decided in the couple of seconds he had to think that he was going to fight for his life and because fuck surrendering. Who surrenders nowadays?

He charged the first figure but they were ready for him. The knocked him back into the counter by shoving his chest. The other two wait patiently, as if they needed a signal to make any move. John bounced back from the counter and punched Figure 1 in the jaw. He staggered backwards in pain, clutching his jaw. He spit out blood and glared at John. "You little shit. You're done for now."

As soon as the last word left the figures mouth, the other two rushed forward at John. John shoved one off of him but the second one was on him just as quick. The first figure was the one standing in the back now, letting his lessers do the dirty work. John was quickly overwhelmed by the attackers but he continued to fight. He knew that he wasn't getting out of this but he was going to give them one hell of a fight before he would let them just take him. He was going to fight until he had no fight left in him.

The fight left him pretty quickly once one of the goons jabbed a needle into his thigh and whatever serum was in it made his body go limp. He fell to the ground, glasses breaking the minute the side of his head hit the ground. His vision blurred and all he could see was a dark set of boots right in front of him, then his visioned blacked completely. He was out cold.

 

Dave was taking a shot of who knows what at this point when a feeling of discomfort passed through him. He ignored it and took another shot, but the feeling grew stronger. He made his way through the crowd over to the table wear Rose was residing. She still had his phone, it was placed neatly in the middle of the table. "Can I see my phone real quick?"

"Why?" She raised her eyebrow, her hand moving over the phone as if to stop him from grabbing it.

"I wanna message John. To see if he's okay." Anyone could tell that Dave was sloppy drunk. His eyes were nearly closing and he was swaying just standing there.

Rose shook her head. "Nope, can't do it. You promised."

"But Rose," he whined, sitting in the chair across from her.

"But Dave," she mocked his whine, deepening her voice to sound like her twin brother.

"I have a bad feeling, I just want to make sure he's okay.

"Is that all?"

"Yes."

"I can do that."

Dave slumped in the seat. It was no use, Rose wasn't going to give his phone to him until tomorrow. "I guess that works."

Rose pulled out her phone and dialed the number she knew by heart. She held it to her ear then smiled sympathetically towards Dave.

"Voicemail. He's probably asleep, it's kinda late."

"I feel bad that he didn't actually throw a party," Dave muttered. "He's home alone while I'm partying, it doesn't feel right."

"I'm sure he's fine. You know John, he's not much of a party type to begin with. He probably read himself to sleep, a book over his face while he snores on the couch or something."

"Yeah, true. I'm sure you're right," Dave smiled. He stood up again and stretched. "I'm gonna go have more fun, come join me at some point!" He turned away from his sister and disappeared into the crowd of people. Rose watched with a fond smile. She was so happy that he found someone who cared about that deeply. He's the only thing that's kept Dave sane, Rose assumed. She turned his gaze back to her hands. She had a slightly bad feeling now too, but she was sure it was nothing, just paranoid because Dave was having bad vibes. She shrugged it off and stood up, pocketing his phone and joining the other blonde and their loud mouthed friend on the dance floor.


	8. Chapter Eight

Dave stood in front of the mirror in his dressing room, fiddling with his tie. His suit looked as great on him as it did when he first tried it on. His hair was styled so it looked messy but perfect and his classic shades were on the bridge of his nose. He shifted his weight to his other foot and sighed in dismay.

"These shoes are fucking uncomfortable."

"Oh, stop whining," Karkat grunted from the other corner where he was tying his own shoes.

"I'm not whining."

"Then quit bitching and man up, asshole," Karkat flashed the blonde a grin and stood up. "You're getting married in a few hours. You can survive uncomfortable shoes for a little longer."

"Do I have to?" Dave glanced at him out of the corner of his eye.

"If you prefer me to call you bitchboy for the rest of your life, then no, you don't. Otherwise, yes."

"Fuck you," Dave laughed. "You're an asshole."

"And you're a bitchboy."

The two men stared each other down before breaking into a fit of laughter. Dave held his stomach and Karkat had to use a chair to hold himself up.

"That wasn't funny in the slightest, why did that make me laugh?" Karkat deadpanned, causing the two to go into another laughing fit.

"Stop making me laugh or I'm going to take off this shoe and beat you with it," Dave managed to threaten between his laughs.

"Take it off, bitchboy," Karkat retaliated.

Dave reached down and slid his left shoe off and started chasing the other man around the room with his shoe in the air, laces still tied. Karkat jumped up from the floor ad avoided Dave like the plague. Both were too occupied chasing and being chased that they didn't notice the door opening in front of them. Karkat crashed into the door, and Dave crashed into Karkat's back. They fell to the ground in a crumpled mess and looked up to see Rose stifling a laugh.

"Hello, boys."

"Shouldn't you be with Vriska??" Karkat rolled his shoulder, looking up at her from his position on the ground.

"I was. Only problem is that John hasn't shown up yet."

"What?" Dave's attention was immediately caught. "Wasn't he supposed to be here-"

"An hour ago, yes. I came to ask if you knew where he was."

"No," the two responded in unison. They stood up and dusted themselves off.

"Where's my phone?" Dave questioned his best man. Karkat pointed to the table that was beside the mirror Dave was using 20 minutes prior. Dave was at the table instantly and he picked up his phone. He called John and frowned as it went straight to voicemail. "Has anyone heard from him?" Dave's anxiety was slowly starting to shoot up.

"Not that I know of," Rose replied, stepping into the room fully and closing the door behind her.

"He didn't answer the phone last night when we called, either," Dave pointed out. He resisted the urge to run his hands through his hair since he knew his sister would legitimately kill him on the spot if he fucked up anything dealing with his looks. He took to tapping his fingers against his thighs instead.

"Have you been home yet?"

"No," Dave shook his head. "I went to Karkat's hotel this morning and showered there, came here and got ready."

"Do you have anyone to check the apartment?"

"No. I generally don't tell people where I live, you know this, Rose." It was another safety precaution, he couldn't have everyone knowing where he lived in case his cover as Spencer was blown and he was targeted. Dave started to take off his suit carefully, causing Karkat to turn around quickly with an 'are you kidding me dude?'. Rose wasn't bothered in the slightest.

"What are you planning to do?" Rose inquired, turning her gaze to the ground as her twins pants came off.

"I'm gonna run home real quick to see if he's there. How much time do I have?" Dave pulled on his pants, which were laying on the table along with his shirt and socks.

Rose pulled out her phone to check the time. "Two hours and 23 minutes."

Dave finished dressing as he calculated. "30 minutes to my house without too much traffic, 45 at most. That leaves John and I roughly an hour to get ready." He was positive that John was at home, probably sleeping because he stayed up too late reading or watching one of his dumb movies he loves oh so much.

"Are you sure that's enough time?" Karkat piped up. "I mean, what about calming the nerves and all that shit."

"Strider's don't get nervous," Dave slid his shades on his face and turned around to face the other two. "I'll be back in a jiffy," he promised, sliding past his sister and best friend. he opened the door and flash stepped out of it, disappearing down the hall. He rushed to his car as fast as he could without causing a disturbance within the people that were in the parking lot. He jumped in the car and started it, not even putting on his seat belt before he revved the engine and was out of the parking lot.

Dave zoomed in and our of cars down the freeway, definitely going over the speed limit by at least 30 MPH, not that he cared in the slightest. He arrived at his destination pretty quickly and he shut his car off in his usual parking spot. He sprinted into the building and up the stairs, not wanting to wait for the elevator. Once in front of his door, he shoved his key into the lock and flung it open. He was careful not to hit the wall with the door so he wouldn't scare the shit out of John. He stepped inside the apartment and closed the door behind him. Everything  _seemed_ normal to him. The bathroom lights were off, but a light shined from his bedroom. He smiled in relief and walked into his room, ready to wake John up by jumping on the bed and laying on top of him.

He would have, too, except the room was empty. Dave frowned a little and turned around once he saw his fiance-nearly-husband wasn't there. He walked to the kitchen and froze in horror. It was trashed. Chairs were broken, there was glass littering the floor, and in the middle of it all laid John's broken glasses.

 

Dave dialed his sisters number immediately after locating John's broken glasses. "He's gone," was all that managed to escape his lips.

"He's  _what_?" Rose said incredulously.

"Gone. I think he was taken."

"Why do you think that?" Rose inquired, sounding concerned and a little frightened.

"My kitchen is a mess and his glasses are lying broken on the ground when they should be on his face," Dave deadpanned. He hung up the phone without bothering to say goodbye and immediately launched himself into detective mode. He searched his apartment for any clue to signal where they had taken John.

There was nothing, but he expected that. He went into the lobby and started asking people questions, but apparently everyone was as blind as John is without his glasses on and saw nothing or hood nothing. Dave finished talking with some guy  who lived a floor before him and sighed heavily. he ran his fingers through his hair and walked outside. He needed some fresh air before he freaked the fuck out. This was not how today was supposed to go.

His friends were blowing up his phone but he didn't bother to answer them. He glanced at the screen as it lit up for what felt like the 50th time since he called Rose and chucked it at the ground, growing angry. Why the fuck did this happen to him? He was a good person, aside from his job and all. he loved his friends and family, deeply. He loved John even more. He treated everyone who deserved to be, good. He didn't take bribes, he didn't get himself in trouble, he stayed to the shadows. None of this was making any sense.

He picked up his shattered phone and tucked it into his pocket. He started walking away from his apartment complex without a set destination in mind. He just walked. He walked for what seemed like hours before stopping outside a familiar house. Gingerly, he knocked on the door and waited someone to come open it.

The door flung open and he peered down at the guy before him. He let the sides of his mouth quirk up in a slight smile. The guy let him in and Dave took a seat on the couch. Time to forget about things for a while.

 

Rose was frantic. It's been a month since Dave went missing. No one has heard from him or seen him. It was like he never existed. One minute, there; the next, gone. She knew all she could do was hope, though. Hope that one day he would come back.

 

Dave had a dopey smile on his face, staring up at the ceiling. He couldn't feel a thing. He decided to get off cocaine and get into something more... Heavy. Coke wasn't working anymore. Nothing else seemed to be working. He tried a few different things and all his thoughts circled back to John. So, he upped his game and decided he was going to try shooting up. And boy oh boy did it do wonders for him. He couldn't move, couldn't think, couldn't talk. Well, maybe it was more of a didn't want to than a couldn't. He didn't want to do anything anymore. It's been a month since his fiance disappeared and the time he was sober was spent searching for something of a hint, but he never found any. He always came back in a dark mood that nothing could fix. He finally found something this time, though.

 

Rose was sitting in her living room when she got the call. "Hello?"

"Rose Lalonde? Sister of Dave Strider?"

"Yes, that's me." Rose immediately came to attention. "May I ask who's calling."

"My name is Jason from the Centuron Hospital. Your brother was admitted about an hour ago for an overdose. You were on his I.C.E."

Rose was already up and grabbing her purse. "I'll be there in 15.. No, make it 10, minutes."

 

Rose arrived to the hospital, shaken and filled with worry. She stepped inside and asked for her brother. A nurse led her to his room and left her alone. Seeing her brother on that white bed with all the IV's and tubes hooked up to him broke her. She started bawling and couldn't stop.  _C'mon, Dave. You got this_ , she thought to herself ans she sat beside him, taking one of his hands in hopes of giving him some comfort.

 

Dave was released from the hospital a week later. Rose hadn't left his side for more than a few hours, usually only to get clothes, food, or to see Kanaya for a second. Rose reprimanded Dave all the way back to his apartment.

"Rose, jesus fucking christ I understand will you let it be?"

"No I will not! You could have DIED, Dave. DIED."

"So what?" He shrugged it off as if it was nothing which infuriated his sibling.

"So what?  _So what?_ Fine. Next time you want to kill yourself, at least give me a heads up so I don't come running to see if you're okay." She spat out and turned around, stalking away. Dave stared after her blankly. It was unlike her but honestly, nothing much these days was affecting Dave, much less an outburst from his sister. He wasn't completely numb though, what she had said cut through him slightly and it stung. The stinging didn't go away by the time he reached the floor his room was on.

It disappeared once he walked into his room though.

On the ground lay a manilla folder, much like the ones his boss gave him filled with contracts. He picked it up and it felt oddly light. He opened it and a single piece of paper fell out, gently cascading to the floor. He picked it up and skimmed over the letters. He was being called to his work. Typical. He just gets out of the hospital for an overdose and they're already yanking him back in. He sighed and set the folder and paper down on the table before hopping in the shower. Once he was refreshed and dressed he made his way to the headquarters.

 

Dave walked inside his bosses office. "Yo."

 

"Spencer," his boss greeted warmly. "Nice of you to finally make it here. I have an important mission for you." The smile that was on his face seemed more like a sneer now. "Go to the basement, it'll be waiting for you down there."

Dave didn't protest. It was pointless to protest with the boss so he just did as he was told, as usual. He got to the basement and was led through hallways and hallways. Soon enough he lost track of the way he came and got all turned around. The man that was leading him stopped and opened up a door, shoving Dave inside. Dave glared at him from behind his shades and closed the door behind him. In the middle of the room sat a guy, tied to a chair with a cloth covering his head. Dave couldn't make out much more of him, as the lighting was dim and came from one bulb, which was above the guy. Soon enough, lights from the side started flickering on. Dave glanced over and was slightly confused. Why were there observatories for this room? He could only assume he was here to kill the guy in the chair, but he didn't need to be observed for that, did he?

Dave shrugged it off and stepped closer to the guy. Once he was a few feet away, a voice sounded all around him, familiar. "Take off the cloth," his boss commanded. His boss was seated in the observatories, as were a couple other guys he didn't recognise. Dave did as he was told and nearly fainted. Before him, tied to the chair was John.

"J-John?" he stammered out.

John looked up, dazed and confused.

"Dave?" he whispered meekly. 

" _WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?"_ Dave shouted up at his boss.

"It's simple, really," his boss replied. "Spies get killed, and well, I figured it could be a training exercise for you. A reminder that you can't get close to anyone."

"What the fuck do you mean,  _spies get killed_?"

"I-I can explain," John spoke quietly. "I didn't know, I'm so sorry. I didn't know you were a part of Varona."

Dave shook his head over and over again. "This can't be happening."

"Dave, just. Just do it. If you don't, they'll probably kill us both."

"He's right, you know. If you don't kill your precious little fiance, you'll both die here."

Dave kneeled before John. "Baby, please. No, I can't. I'd rather die with you."

"Dave, no!" John pleaded. "I love you too much for that. You can still have a life. You can find another love."

"I don't want another love!" Dave interrupted. "I just want you."

"You had me," he said sweetly, leaning forward. "But our time is up. It was the best, most wonderful time of my life, but it's over now. There's no way in hell I'm letting you die with me here when you don't have to. Actions have consequences, and this is just one of them. I made a mistake, and I wish I could go back in time to stop myself but I can';t. Please, Dave. Get this over with, and live your life. For me. I'll see you again someday, and I'll be waiting for you until then. So please, Dave. For me," John's lips were trembling by the end of his little speech and Dave and tears running down his cheeks. He gingerly took his shades off and set them on the ground. Dave tilted John's head up and gave him once last kiss, trying to convey just how much he loved the raven haired boy into it. He pulled back and knew John knew.

"I love you so fucking much," Dave's voice cracked. "You are my one and only, and I will never find someone like you in my life. You are the only one I could ever want, I could ever see me with, and I'm so sorry that it has come to this. You're right, you will see me eventually. You can't get rid of me that easy. You are my world, and.. And.. I love you."

With the last three words out of his mouth, Dave stood up and pulled his gun from his hip. He positioned the barrel of the gun directly in the middle of John's forehead. "Forgive me, John," he whispered. He stared into John's eyes for a couple seconds longer, seeing the love, the pain, and the fear circling in them before he turned his head away and pulled the trigger.


	9. Chapter Nine

Dave trudged home slowly, grief stricken with what had just happened. His brain wasn't processing it at all. He felt numb, to everything. He made it home without throwing himself into traffic, which he thought was pretty sad. He sat in his room for hours, staring blankly at the wall in front of him. he had no will to live anymore. John being gone, and being the one who.. Who killed him, caused all the fight Dave had left in him to leave. After what could have been a mere few hours or a few days (time meant nothing to Dave at this point), he rummaged around his room to find the picture of him and John, the one where Dave was proposing to him. He looked at it fondly as a few tears tickled down his cheek. He placed it down and grabbed his gun, paper, and a pen.

He began writing a couple letters to the people that he felt deserved them. He kept them short and simple. He didn't explain what he had done to John, only that he found out John was dead and he couldn't bare to go on without his lover at his side. He placed the letters in envelopes and scribbled Rose on one and Karkat on the other. The only two other people he cared about.

He stared longingly at the picture and then the gun. He placed the barrel on his forehead exactly where he had placed it on John, and picked the picture up. "You said you'll see me eventually, and I'm not going to wait for that to happen. I'll see you soon, my love." He took one last look at the picture before him and pulled the trigger. 

**Author's Note:**

> this fanfic is written specifically for my friend Pyro <3 I hope he loves it lmao


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